CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Sam Stone and Evan Coleman of Texas State University took the Day 1 lead of the 2016 Bassmaster College Series National Championship with an impressive 20 pounds, 13 ounces, despite the fact they were soaked the whole day.
“Everything was wet,” Stone said. “It was just pouring down rain.”
But the teammates made their peace with the weather after catching their limit of five bass before 10 a.m. on Thursday on Kentucky’s Green River Lake.
“A front rolled in at 9:30,” Coleman said. “Plus, we’d had a good morning bite. We felt really confident after that.”
Stone and Coleman, who have been practicing on this lake all week, went into the first competition day with a plan but quickly abandoned it when they saw how hard it was raining.
Their newly formed game plan is a secret for now, said the Texas anglers, who are competing for a chance to win the championship trophy for their school. Plus, the best four teams from the championship advance to the 2016 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket, Aug. 4-6, on Kentucky Lake in Tennessee. The best angler in that head-to-head competition earns a berth in the 2017 Bassmaster Classic — which is in their home state of Texas.
Stone and Coleman had a great first day of practice, where they were catching quality bass. The following two days were rough; they didn’t catch anything at all.
“But then we heard that a three-day tournament was just won here with only three fish for 18 pounds,” Stone said. “That sealed it for us. We knew there were big bass here. We just had to go find them.”
Stone, who is a senior in engineering at Texas State, said he’s not sure if the pair can replicate their Day 1 catch on Friday.
“I have no idea if we can do it again,” he said, “but it sure would be amazing.”
Coleman is laying the groundwork for a future career in fishing, and winning this championship would be a major stepping-stone.
“I plan on becoming a fishing guide after college,” Coleman said, “and I’ll be fishing the Opens for a chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series.”
The Texas State team is looking forward to Friday, where they’re hoping to capitalize on their lead. But right behind them is Hunter Louden of Bethel University, who weighed in 20 pounds, 6 ounces Thursday.
“I was just blessed today,” said Louden. “I wasn’t really on anything, but I got the right five bites.”
Like the current leaders, Louden experienced a lot of his productive activity around that 9:30 a.m. mark, when the pressure changed with the front. The rainy, cooler weather proved challenging for much of the field. Of the 89 teams competing, 14 of them posted zeroes. And although Texas State and Bethel had weights topping the 20-pound mark, only eight other teams are within striking distance. Every team from 11th place down weighed in less than 10 pounds.
“This lake can change drastically from one day to the next,” said Lance Freeman, a Kentucky angler who, along with his Murray State University partner Chandler Christian, is in 45th place after Day 1.
“I’ve practiced here a lot, and Green River really can be surprising from day to day,” he said.
Those words are giving some of the other competitors hope. Many are planning to overhaul their game plan overnight and try something completely new for Day 2. It’s critical to right the ship quickly; after the weigh-in on the second day, the 89 teams will be cut to only 12 teams to fish on Saturday, the final day.
“We have the best college anglers in the country here in this championship,” said Hank Weldon, manager of the Bassmaster College Series. “They’ve been competing all year, and these are the best of more than 500 teams from 200-plus schools that were trying to get on this stage this week.”
Campbellsville University is hosting the tournament on its campus in Campbellsville, Ky.
“This is a great place and a great community,” said Weldon. “We couldn’t do this without the help of all the volunteers at Campbellsville.”
After Thursday, Kyle Alsop and Taylor Bivins of Kansas State University are in the lead for that prize for the 6-pound, 13-ounce bass they weighed in.
“We hadn’t seen a fish of that quality all week,” Alsop said, “so that was definitely a surprise.”
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 1
Green River Lake - Campbellsville, KY
7/28/2016 - 7/30/2016
Bassmaster College Series National Championship
Today's Activity
# Fish Lbs - Oz
Accumulative
Name # Live # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz
1 Sam Stone - Evan Coleman Texas State University 5 5 20-13 5 5 20-13
2 Hunter Louden - Bethel University 5 4 20- 6 5 4 20- 6
3 Brian Pahl - John Garrett Bethel University 5 5 17- 4 5 5 17- 4
4 Maurice Hudson - Sean Cummins Penn State University 5 5 16- 8 5 5 16- 8
5 Thomas Oltorik III - James Oltorik Daytona State College 5 5 15- 6 5 5 15- 6
6 Kyle Alsop - Taylor Bivins Kansas State University 5 5 13-15 5 5 13-15
7 Brandon Koon - Kenneth Parks UT Martin 5 5 13- 6 5 5 13- 6
8 Phillip Germagliotti - Shane Campbell McKendree University 4 2 12- 6 4 2 12- 6
9 Levi Baker - Bayne Miller U. of North Georgia 4 4 11- 8 4 4 11- 8
10 KJ Queen - Evan Owrey Bethel University 3 3 11- 8 3 3 11- 8
11 JP Kimbrough - Jared Rascoe LSU Shreveport 5 5 9- 5 5 5 9- 5
12 Ryan Hayse - Jake Staley U. of North Alabama 5 4 9- 5 5 4 9- 5
13 Andrew Mlotek - Calvin Vang U. of Wisconsin Whitewater 4 3 8-11 4 3 8-11
14 Jacob Miller - Kyle Waller Ohio State University 4 4 8- 6 4 4 8- 6
15 Cole Burdeshaw - Travis Culbreth Auburn University 5 5 8- 0 5 5 8- 0
16 Tyler Rivet - Jess Robertson Nicholls State University 5 5 7-14 5 5 7-14
17 Austin Handley - Caleb Wozniak Auburn University 4 4 7-10 4 4 7-10
18 Carson Orellana - Strayer University 3 3 7- 8 3 3 7- 8
19 Josh Bensema - Tyler Anderson Texas A&M University 5 5 7- 3 5 5 7- 3
20 Patrick Walters - Brian Sweeney University of South Carolina 5 5 6-14 5 5 6-14
21 Brandon Simoneaux - Colby Ogden Lamar University 4 4 6-13 4 4 6-13
22 Josh Oliver - Chase Chastain Jacksonville State University 3 3 6-12 3 3 6-12
23 Austin Niggli - Derrik Starrett McKendree University 1 1 6-11 1 1 6-11
24 Caiden Sinclair - Hunter Gibson University of Alabama 5 5 6- 6 5 5 6- 6
25 Tyler Stewart - Nick Joiner La Monroe 5 5 6- 5 5 5 6- 5
26 Reed Foster - Zackery Hines Dallas Baptist University 3 3 6- 5 3 3 6- 5
27 Zachary Castano - Aaron Sollenberger UNC Charlotte 2 2 6- 4 2 2 6- 4
28 Zeke Gossett - Hayden Bartee Faulkner University 1 1 6- 2 1 1 6- 2
29 Chayse Freeman - Ryan Shields Wallace State Comm College 5 5 6- 0 5 5 6- 0
30 Jordan Wise - Chris Phinney East Carolina University 4 4 5-15 4 4 5-15
31 Ronnie Gray - Ladd Owens Arkansas Tech University 2 2 5-12 2 2 5-12
32 Josh Cannon - Alex Frazier Western Carolina University 3 3 5-11 3 3 5-11
33 Austin Chapman - Curtis Lilly McKendree University 5 5 5-10 5 5 5-10
34 Justin Singleton - Ryan Stewart Georgia College 3 3 5- 9 3 3 5- 9
35 Trent Newman - Nathan Wood Dallas Baptist University 5 5 5- 8 5 5 5- 8
36 Zach Ziober - Dakota Ebare Tarleton State University 3 3 5- 7 3 3 5- 7
37 Bradley Fleming - Clark Mannas Texas A&M University 5 5 5- 3 5 5 5- 3
37 John Ledet - Justin Cooper Northwestern State University 5 5 5- 3 5 5 5- 3
39 Garrett Paquette - Zak Fadden Schoolcraft College 3 3 5- 1 3 3 5- 1
40 Chris Blanchette - Dylan Allison University of South Carolina 4 4 4-14 4 4 4-14
41 Tanner Mort - Austin Turpin University of Idaho 3 3 4- 3 3 3 4- 3
42 Josh Worth - Kennedy Kinkade Colorado Mesa University 2 2 4- 3 2 2 4- 3
43 Tyler Woolcott - Cody Wilson Emby-Riddle Aeronoautical University 1 1 4-3 1 1 4-3
44 Zach Hurst - Austyn Fowler Tarleton State University 1 1 4- 1 1 1 4- 1
45 Lance Freeman - Chandler Christian Murray State University 2 2 4- 0 2 2 4- 0
46 Matthew Benoits - Matthew Leblanc Nicholls State 1 0 3-15 1 0 3-15
47 Sheldon Rogge - Parker Davis Kansas State University 3 3 3-13 3 3 3-13
48 Anderson Aldag - Lee Mattox University of Alabama 3 3 3-12 3 3 3-12
49 Nicholas Kirkton - Seth Becker Illinois State University 4 3 3-10 4 3 3-10
50 Sam Glenn - Cameron Baker UNC Charlotte 2 2 3- 9 2 2 3- 9
51 Travis Harriman - Chaz Miller University of Arkansas 3 2 3- 6 3 2 3- 6
52 Aaron Belgard - Logan Laprarie Northwestern State University 2 2 3- 6 2 2 3- 6
53 John Davis - Payton McGinnis University of Alabama 2 1 2-14 2 1 2-14
54 Mitch Swanson - Thor Swanson Bemidji State University 1 1 2- 9 1 1 2- 9
55 Shane Haas - Reid Hammil University of Florida 2 2 2- 8 2 2 2- 8
55 Justin St Onge - Ryan McLaughlin Haywood Community College 2 2 2- 8 2 2 2- 8
57 John Authement - Cameron Naquin Nicholls State 3 2 2- 5 3 2 2- 5
58 Charlie Sterrett - Nicholas Schneider University of Illinois 1 1 2- 4 1 1 2- 4
59 Tanner Malone - Kyle Alford Mississippi State University 2 2 2- 0 2 2 2- 0
60 Michael Chambliss - Turner Carlisle Columbus State University 1 1 1-15 1 1 1-15
61 Austin Butler - Ryan Kirkpatrick Murray State University 1 1 1-14 1 1 1-14
62 Travis Bounds - Andrew Loberg Chico State 2 2 1-12 2 2 1-12
63 Chase Johnson - Eric Leifheit East Carolina University 1 1 1- 9 1 1 1- 9
64 Zach Clisch - Adam Neu U. of Wisconsin Platteville 1 1 1- 6 1 1 1- 6
64 Brennan Fertig - Evan Cook Texas A&M University 1 1 1- 6 1 1 1- 6
66 Shawn Callahan - Tom Brewbaker University of South Carolina 1 1 1- 4 1 1 1- 4
67 Ty Cox - Jake Houston Itawamba Community College 1 1 1- 3 1 1 1- 3
67 Russ Johnson - Hunter Schrock Itawamba Community College 1 1 1- 3 1 1 1- 3
69 Rudy Directo - Humboldt State 1 1 1- 1 1 1 1- 1
70 Stetson Overton - Justin Seeton Tarleton State University 1 1 1- 0 1 1 1- 0
70 Hunter Whitman - Alec Lower NC State University 1 1 1- 0 1 1 1- 0
72 Steve Nebel - Jared Mataczynski U. of Wisconsin Whitewater 1 0 1- 0 1 0 1- 0
73 JC Adams - Darius Williams University of West Georgia 1 1 0-15 1 1 0-15
73 Gunner Durrett - Austin Watkins LA Tech 1 1 0-15 1 1 0-15
73 Chad Matthews - Austin Wingard Auburn University 1 1 0-15 1 1 0-15
76 Dylan Brown - Hunter Franklin U. of South Alabama 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Garrett Cates - Tyler Nekolny Kansas State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Adam Deakin - Alex Stuart Colorado State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Adam Forester - Scott McClellan LA Tech 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Jesse Hill - Cody Whisenhunt Jefferson State Community College 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Marcus Kliebert - Francis Robichaux Nicholls State 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Travis McGuire - Layne Bynum Texas Tech University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Hunter McKamey - Kyle Oliver U. of Central Florida 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Luis McMurphy - MJ Vihnanek U. of South Alabama 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Zander Monk - Kolton Hawks UNC Charlotte 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Dan Scott - U. of Wisconsin Stevens Point 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Gunnar Stanton - Northern Arizona University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Ben Stone - Collin Smith Lander University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
76 Jacob Wall - University of Oregon 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
Name City,State Lbs-Oz
BIG BASS
Day
1 Kyle Alsop - Taylor Bivins Overland Park, KS 6-13
Day # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
TOTALS
# Fish
1 219 208 434-10 20
2 0 0 0- 0 0