Central Connecticut State University wins at 1000 Islands

The Central Connecticut State University team of Dane Anderson of New Britain, Conn., and Brett Holmes of Claverack, N.Y., won the FLW College Fishing event at 1000 Islands with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces. Anglers: Dane Anderson, Brett Holmes.

July 30, 2011 • MLF • Abu Garcia College Fishing

CLAYTON, N.Y. – The Central Connecticut State University team of Dane Anderson of New Britain, Conn., and Brett Holmes of Claverack, N.Y., won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Northern Division event at 1000 Islands Saturday with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces.

The victory earned the team $10,000 to be split between the university and the university’s bass fishing club: $7,500 for the bass club and $2,500 for their school. The win also helped them advance to the Northern Division Regional Championship.

“The conditions were almost perfect,” said Anderson, a senior environmental geography major. “We fished a grass flat in 7 to 9 feet of water and didn’t leave a 100-yard radius all day long.

“It was 85 degrees and sunny with just enough breeze to put a chop on the water,” Anderson added.

Anderson said the team sight fished for smallmouth the entire day with drop-shot worms and caught 20 fish, including 15 keepers. Their kicker fish, a 5-pound smallie, was the first fish of the day.

“This feels amazing,” said Holmes, a physical education major. “Since we’re seniors this was our last tournament, and this was the first time we had been out here. This is awesome.”

Rounding out the top five teams and also advancing to the Northern Regional Championship are:

2nd: Ramapo College – Joseph Zapf, Whippany, N.J., and Jeffrey Voss (five bass, 14-8, $3,000)

3rd: Radford University – Brett Meyn, Mechanicsville, Va., and Travis Lively, Hardy, Va. (five bass, 12-14, $2,000)

4th: Slippery Rock University – Justin Lonchar, Clinton, Pa., and Benjamin Tawney, Stoystown, Pa. (five bass, 12-12, $2,000)

5th: Wake Forest University – Ben Perry, Hilton Head, S.C., and Brad Silver, Roanoke Rapids, N.C. (five bass, 12-10, $2,000)

The top five teams from each tournament qualify for the regional championship where the first-place team will win $12,500 cash for their school and $12,500 cash and a Ranger 177TR bass boat with a 90 horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard wrapped in school colors for their fishing club. The top five teams from each regional tournament advance to the national championship where the first-place team will win $25,000 for their school and $50,000 cash and a Ranger 177TR bass boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard wrapped in school colors for their fishing club.

College Fishing is free to enter and FLW Outdoors provides boats and drivers for each competing team along with travel allowances. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.

The next National Guard FLW College Northern Division tournament is scheduled for Aug. 20 at Lake Erie in Buffalo, N.Y.

For complete details and updated information, browse this website. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWCollegeFishing.

About FLW Outdoors

FLW Outdoors is the largest tournament-fishing organization in the world, offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing at FantasyFishing.com, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge.