ETBU Wins on the Ouachita River
Hendrix and Manuel weigh 15-4
The East Texas Baptist University team of Grant Hendrix of Livingston, Texas, and Josh Manuel of Burleson, Texas, won the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at the Ouachita River event Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces. The victory earned the duo $2,000 and qualified them to compete in the 2021 College Fishing National Championship.
The Tigers duo won by a 1½-pound margin over the second-place team of Luke O’Neal and Wesley Banks, from the University of Louisiana-Monroe, who weighed in five bass totaling 13 pounds, 12 ounces. The tournament launched from Forsythe Park in Monroe, Louisiana.
According to post-tournament reports, the duo caught their fish targeting brush piles and cypress trees with a white ChatterBait and a black and blue-colored V&M Flat Wild.
The top 10 teams advanced to the 2021 College Fishing National Championship:
1st: East Texas Baptist University – Grant Hendrix, Livingston, Texas, and Josh Manuel, Burleson. Texas, five bass, 15-4, $2,000
2nd: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Luke O’Neal and Wesley Banks, Calhoun, La., five bass, 13-12, $1,000
3rd: East Texas Baptist University – Kaden Proffitt, Pittsburg, Texas, and Cason Ragsdale, Winnsboro, Texas, five bass, 12-12, $500
4th: Stephen. F. Austin State University – Calan Cameron, Coppell, Texas, and Kellen Worley, Wylie, Texas, five bass, 12-9, $500
5th: Sam Houston State University – Jayce Garrison and Mason Hoke, both of Conroe, Texas, five bass, 12-4, $500
6th: University of Oklahoma – Carson Kirkhuff, Grapevine, Texas, and Brigg Bates, Aledo, Texas, five bass, 11-7
7th: Delta State University – Matthew Brooks, Clarksdale, Miss., and Jake White, Marks, Miss., five bass, 10-11
8th: Stephen F. Austin State University – J.D. Clarke, Chester, Texas, and Garrett Johnson, Burnet, Texas, five bass, 10-10
9th: Tarleton State University – Caden Cowan, Stephenville, Texas, and Trevor Easter, Morgan, Texas, five bass, 10-9
10th: University of Louisiana-Lafayette – Cole Bailey, Doyline, La., and Hayden Pinho, Patterson, La., five bass, 10-5