STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Tyler Rivet and Allyson Marcel of Nicholls State University hauled in 8 pounds, 7 ounces on Friday to vault from eighth place and into the second-round lead of the Bassmaster College Series Championship. The Louisiana college’s team ground out a three-bass limit heavy enough to claim a 6-ounce lead heading into the final day of the team tournament on Lake DuBay. While catches for most of the 81 teams in the championship were smaller on the second day, Rivet and Marcel stayed with the tactics and locations that had them among the leaders in the first round.
“We did exactly the same thing today and fished the exact same spots,” Rivet said. “It’s an undercut bank in a small canal, and it reminds us of how we fish back in Louisiana. We had to hit the bank with our baits, or we wouldn’t have a chance to catch a bass.”
Consistency has been the key for Nicholls State, but with increased fishing pressure on Lake DuBay this week, fish catches are expected to decline even more in Saturday’s final round.
“I think we will be fine,” Marcel said. “I don’t want to jinx us, but we missed two fish today, and I think they could bite again tomorrow at some point.”
The first-round leaders from Texas A&M University, Josh Bensema and Matthew McArdle, checked in with 6 pounds, 9 ounces of DuBay bass to stay within striking distance of the lead and a possible National Championship title. Bensema and McArdle started quickly Thursday, catching a limit before 7 a.m., but Friday was much different. The Texas duo didn’t land a keeper bass until around 9:30 a.m. After a slow start, however, they began to figure out where the fish were positioning and when they might expect to get a bite from a keeper bass.
“The water level came up some in our area, and the fish seemed to farther into the cover,” McArdle said. “We just had to fish our baits a little deeper in the cover to get bit.”
Bensema and McArdle used a one-two punch of lures the first day but switched to a topwater bait to boat their three bass Friday.
“Later today, Matt picked up a frog and caught our final keeper,” Bensema said. “I think on Saturday we will throw that for at least 90 percent of the day.”
The University of North Carolina-Charlotte team of Jake Whitaker and Andrew Helms — defending national champions from 2014 — moved into third, less than 2 pounds behind the leaders. Whitaker and Helms have been concentrating on a specific area of DuBay the first two days and don’t plan to change locations. Their hope is to be the first collegiate anglers to claim back-to-back titles in the Bassmaster College championship.
“Our first goal is to get three fish in the boat,” Whitaker said. “Depending on what time we can get our limit, we will go big and swing for the fences because we want to win. We know what it feels like, and we know a big fish can do it.”
Whitaker and Helms made passes along a specific stretch of bank throughout the first two days of competition, switching up baits as they went along to see what baits were key during different parts of the day. Trevor Lo and Chris Burgan from the University of Minnesota weighed in two smallmouth for 3 pounds, 13 ounces to slip into the Top 5 and are currently in fourth heading into the final day.
Frank Appaluccio and Logan Shaddix of the University of Alabama squeezed into the Top 5 finals after winning a tiebreaker provision over East Carolina’s Zach Blalock and Mike Corbishley. Both teams had 11-11 after two rounds of fishing. Tyler Rivet and Allyson Marcel of Nicholls State weighed in the Big Bag of the tournament (8-7) so far with one day remaining; the winner of this award also receives a $250 Bass Pro Shops gift card.
Rivet and Marcel also earned the Livingston Lures Leader Award, which is given to the team leading after two days. Both members will receive a $250 Livingston Lures gift card. John Garrent and Brian Pahl of Bethel University currently hold the Carhartt Big Bass award with a 3-11 bass from Day 1. A $500 Carhartt gift card goes to the tournament’s biggest bass.
Bassmaster College Series National Championship
7/9/2015 - 7/11/2015
Lake DuBay - Tiki Beach Bar & Grill - Stevens Point, WI
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 2
Today's Activity
# Fish Lbs - Oz
Accumulative
Name # Live # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz
1 Tyler Rivet - Allyson Marcel Nicholls State University 3 3 8- 7 6 6 15- 0
2 Josh Bensema - Matthew McArdle Texas A&M University 3 3 6- 9 6 6 14-10
3 Jake Whitaker - Andrew Helms UNC Charlotte 3 3 5-13 6 6 13- 3
4 Trevor Lo - Chris Burgan University of Minnesota 2 2 3-13 5 5 11-12
5 Frankie Appaluccio - Logan Shaddix University of Alabama 2 2 4- 3 5 5 11-11
6 Zachary Blalock - Mike Corbishley East Carolina University 3 3 6-15 5 5 11-11
7 Austin Brimeyer - Anthony Riesberg University of Dubuque 3 3 6-13 5 5 9- 9
8 Hunter Gibson - Caiden Sinclair University of Alabama 2 2 4-15 5 5 9- 4
9 Kelly Johnson - Jeremy Gilley Appalachian State University 3 3 8- 1 3 3 8- 1
10 Zack Bodford - Matthew Hinkle NC State University 1 1 2- 6 4 4 8- 1
11 JP Kimbrough - Jared Rascoe LSU Shreveport 0 0 0- 0 3 3 7-15
12 Hunter Hill - Ethan Howell Appalachian State University 0 0 0- 0 3 3 7-14
13 Ross Burns - Richard Nesbitt Clemson University 1 1 2- 7 4 4 7-12
14 Justin Singleton - Zac Bennett Georgia College & State University 1 1 1-11 4 4 7- 8
15 Patrick Walters - Josh Rennebaum University of South Carolina 3 3 4-15 4 4 7- 7
16 Cade Laufenberg - Wyatt Stout Winona State University 0 0 0- 0 3 3 7- 6
17 Tyler Stewart - Nick Joiner La Monroe 2 2 3- 2 4 4 7- 6
18 Josh Oliver - Nathan George Gadsden State Community College 3 3 4-13 4 4 7- 3
19 Kyle Winstead - Brandon Koon UT Martin 2 2 3- 5 4 4 6-15
20 Taylor Bivins - Kyle Alsop Kansas State University 3 3 4- 7 4 4 6-10
21 John Duarte - Jonathan Kelley Coastal Carolina University 2 2 4- 1 4 4 6- 6
22 Jared Mataczynski - Steve Nebel University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 3 3 6- 5 3 3 6- 5
23 Phillip Germagliotti - Shane Campbell McKendree University 3 3 4-11 4 4 6- 2
24 Brock Enmeier - Colten Hutson University of Central Oklahoma 0 0 0- 0 3 3 5-11
25 Cody Spears - Justin Mahon Florida State University 0 0 0- 0 2 2 5- 8
26 John Ledet - Justin Cooper Northwestern State University 1 1 1- 5 4 4 5- 6
27 Tanner Austin - Ethan Clark Sacramento State 2 2 5- 4 2 2 5- 4
28 Murphy Klumpp - Lucas Brown Auburn University 1 1 2- 7 3 3 5- 4
29 Baylor Ronemus - Cole Tinsley Clemson University 0 0 0- 0 3 3 5- 2
30 Anderson Aldag - Lee Mattox University of Alabama 2 2 4- 9 2 2 4- 9
31 Justin Brown - Brandon Bissell Northern Michigan University 0 0 0- 0 3 3 4- 3
32 Cole Atkinson - St Ambrose University 0 0 0- 0 2 2 4- 3
33 Edward Rude III - Matthew Combs West Virginia University 2 2 2-13 3 3 4- 3
34 Easton Ramsey - Chris Zins University of Central Oklahoma 1 1 2- 1 2 2 3-15
35 Grayson Barber - Hiroto Kinoshita NC State University 1 1 2-11 2 2 3-14
36 Sheldon Rogge - Lance Maldonado Kansas State University 0 0 0- 0 2 2 3-12
37 John Garrett - Brian Pahl Bethel University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 3-11
38 Joshua Butts - Justin Rivers Wallace State CC Hanceville 2 2 3-10 2 2 3-10
39 Kevin Lucas - Kyle Stafford U. of Central Florida 0 0 0- 0 2 2 3- 8
40 Aaron Belgard - Logan Laprarie Northwestern State University 1 1 1- 5 2 2 3- 8
41 Tyler Craig - Blake Alford La Monroe 2 2 3- 3 2 2 3- 3
42 Evan Smith - Aaron Sarna Arkansas Tech University 0 0 0- 0 2 2 3- 1
43 Evan Horne - Dawson Lenz University of North Alabama 1 1 1- 6 2 2 2-15
44 Taylor Minick - Michael Harbach Valdosta State University 1 1 1-11 2 2 2-14
45 Tyler Rocke - Justin Schick Illinois Central College 0 0 0- 0 2 2 2-13
46 Jacob Wall - University of Oregon 0 0 0- 0 1 1 2-12
47 Ross Dove - Richie Young Emmanuel College 0 0 0- 0 2 2 2-11
48 Cole Blythe - John Auten UNC Charlotte 0 0 0- 0 1 1 2-11
49 Samuel Moore - Ross Kellermeier Bemidji State University 0 0 0- 0 2 2 2-10
Today's Activity
# Fish Lbs - Oz
Accumulative
Name # Live # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz
50 Alex Klein - Chico State 0 0 0- 0 1 1 2- 5
51 Ethan Snyder - Shaw Owens Eastern Kentucky University 1 1 2- 4 1 1 2- 4
52 Matt Allen - Zach Youngblood Tennessee Tech University 1 1 2- 2 1 1 2- 2
53 CJ Knight - Tim Ward Auburn University 1 1 2- 1 1 1 2- 1
54 Dwight Camp - Jonathan Furlong Southeastern Oklahoma University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1-11
54 Laj Tripp - Kyle Sittman Eastern Washington University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1-11
56 Thomas Oltorik III - James Oltorik Daytona State College 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1-10
57 Jay Emmert - Christian Peake U. of Tennessee 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 9
58 Chelsey Queen - Kristopher Queen Bethel University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 8
59 Benjamin Freeman - Dillon McGee Bethel University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 6
60 Justin Bruno - Brody Anderson Grand Valley State University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 5
60 Austin Neary - Alex Frazier Western Carolina University 1 1 1- 5 1 1 1- 5
60 Jonathan Peck - Devin Wallis Bryan College 1 1 1- 5 1 1 1- 5
60 Michael Woods - Chas Brannon Chico State 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 5
64 Jacob Reome - Matthew Garvin Clemson University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 4
65 Austin Littrell - Ben Wall Auburn University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 3
66 Kit Benson - Wes Lashmett Western Illinois University 0 0 0- 0 1 0 1- 3
67 Grant Ehlenfeldt - Brett Stanek University of Wisconsin-Platteville 1 1 1- 2 1 1 1- 2
67 Cy Floyd - Travis Opel Eastern Washington University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 2
67 Lance Freeman - Seth Brock Murray State University 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1- 2
70 Alec Castonguay - Garret Whitley Stephen F Austin State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 Brian Eaton - Slade Daniel La Monroe 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 Grant Galloway - Joe Marty Mississippi State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 Justin Gaskin - James Avant LSU Shreveport 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 Clayton Godfrey - Garret Lindsey Stephen F Austin State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 Darrell Henson Jr. - Brent Rome LSU 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 Shelby Hutchens - Brian Blades Stephen F Austin State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 Jordan Ledbetter - Trent Robinson McKendree University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 Zander Monk - Taylor Thomas UNC Charlotte 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 Colby Ogden - Brandon Simoneaux Lamar University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 Carson Orellana - Strayer University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
70 John Zeolla - Clayton Lauchland Cal Poly 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
Name City,State Lbs-Oz
BIG BASS
Day
1 John Garrett - Brian Pahl Union City, TN 3-11
2 Hunter Gibson - Caiden SincHlaoirover, AL 3- 8
Day # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
TOTALS
# Fish
1 103 102 196-11 16
2 71 71 140- 4 11