Championship cut looms on horizon

Top 25 college fishing teams head out onto Fort Loudoun Lake in one last attempt to qualify for finals at 2010 FLW College Fishing National Championship

FLW College Fishing National Championship contestants get ready for the start of the day's action. Photo by Gary Mortenson.

April 11, 2010 • Gary Mortenson • Abu Garcia College Fishing

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Entering the most important day of tournament action to date, the top 25 college teams in the nation departed Ned McWherter Riverside Landing Park marina shortly after 7 a.m. with one clear mission – to fish another day.

By the end of today’s competition, 20 of the 25 teams will be sent packing. The remaining five teams that produce the heaviest two-stringers will advance to the final round of the 2010 National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship.

As the old adage goes, “you have to be in it to win it.” And that precisely sums up what these young college students are facing in Sunday’s competition.

“We’re just going to go out there and fish to our strengths,” said Texas State University angler David Cosner, whose team currently sits in fourth place overall. “We’re going to make a lot of casts and stay shallow. I’m a shallow-water fisherman and that’s what I feel most comfortable doing.”

“We’re pretty confident in our pattern,” said Cosner’s teammate Jay McCollum. “The weather should be similar to yesterday and hopefully our pattern will hold up. If it does, we’ll be sitting pretty.”

Day-one leaders Shaye Baker and Dennis Parker of Auburn University know that a target is on their backs after registering the only catch weighing 16 pounds or greater in the first day of national championship competition.

“We have a 14-ounce lead so that’s not really that big,” said Baker. “All that means is that right now, we’re the ones to beat.”

For Baker’s teammate, pulling out a tournament title would be the culmination of years of hard work on the water.

“I’ve been thinking about this for three years now,” he said. “I’d mean everything to win this.”

For the Ohio State team of Kevin Moeller and Casey Hammann, today is crucial if they are to hang on to one of the top-five positions heading into Monday’s competition.

“It’s really exciting to be in the top five right now,” said Moeller, who along with teammate Hammann represent the only two college anglers who are members of the National Guard – the tournament’s title sponsor. “But we know that a lot of the guys behind us (in the standings) are really good anglers. And they’ll be gunning for us.

“It’s a lot of pressure fishing for the National Guard,” Moeller continued. “You have to do good or you’ll have a lot of pushups to do when you get back home.”

Tourney format and event logistics

The entire FLW College Fishing National Championship field will compete once more on Sunday with the top-five college teams advancing to Monday’s final round of competition based on their overall accumulated weight. After the conclusion of Monday’s weigh-in, the tournament title will be awarded to the college team that has recorded the most combined weight over all three days of national championship competition.

The national championship winning team will receive $25,000 cash, a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower engine wrapped in school colors for their school’s bass club and $50,000 for the school they represent – for a total prize package valued at $100,000.

However, a tournament trophy isn’t the only thing at stake this week. The winning team in the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship also will qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup – one of the most prestigious bass-fishing championships in the nation which boasts a top prize of $600,000. The winning team member with the heaviest total weight in the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship will compete in the pro division and the other member of the winning team will compete in the co-angler division of the Forrest Wood Cup.

Each morning at 7 a.m., college teams will depart Ned McWherter Riverside Landing Park located at 1648 Riverside Drive in Knoxville. Daily weigh-ins will be at TRECS Plaza at 4 p.m. Eastern time on the University of Tennessee campus located at 2106 Andy Holt Ave, Lot 20 in Knoxville.

Country music star Lee Brice will be performing Sunday, April 11 at 3 p.m. at TRECS Plaza prior to the weigh-in. Along with the concert, FLW Outdoors will be hosting the College Fishing Festival, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 10 through Monday, April 12 with activities including the National Guard Challenge, climbing wall and paintball. All activities including the concert are free and open to the public. Fans can also register for cash prizes presented by US Bank.

Bass-fishing fans take note

Want to watch the inaugural national championship weigh-in live but can’t make it in person? Then tune into FLW Live on FLWOutdoors.com shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern time to watch live streaming video and audio of today’s opening-round weigh in.

Vital statistics:

Sunrise: 7:08 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 41 degrees

Expected high temperature: 77 degrees

Wind: From the southwest at 3 mph

Water temperature: 58-69 degrees

Maximum humidity: 45 percent

Day’s outlook: Mostly sunny