OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — Mark Hugus and Cody Hahner of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point took the first-round lead Friday in the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Midwestern Regional Championship on Lake of the Ozarks and never looked back. The pair claimed the win Saturday with a two-day total of 32 pounds, 13 ounces and a comfortable 5-pound, 9-ounce winning margin.
The runner-up team of Cody Lincoln and Jason Hawksford, also of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, ended the tournament with a total of 27-4. Although the Top 14 teams earned the right to move on to the Carhartt College Series National Championship, qualifying was never the focus for Hugus and Hahner.
“We came here to win,” said Hahner. “We finished second at our tournament last weekend, and that hurt.”
When Hugus and Hahner hit the water for practice at the Missouri lake, their main focus was finding big bass. The bigger bites were spaced out during practice so the duo searched for different fishing areas during the competition days, as well. They also concentrated on a few areas where they had previously caught multiple fish.
“We basically looked for transition banks in pockets,” said Hugus. These “transition banks” consisted of larger rock turning to chunk rock. There, Hugus and Hahner fished MegaBass 110 jerkbaits to trigger bites from prespawn bass that were moving toward more shallow water.
Their win can be credited to covering water and not letting lost fish demoralize them. On Friday, Hugus and Hahner lost a 3-pounder and another bass weighing more than 5 pounds early in the morning. Knowing that their main window of opportunity would come later in the day as the water warmed up, they were able to shake off the lost fish and focus on the next bite. Day 2 began much the same way with Hugus losing the team’s second keeper bite of the morning, a solid 4-pounder.
“We just kept our heads down and kept fishing,” said Hugus.
That mindset paid off as Hugus and Hahner hit a flurry around noon when they boated most of their 13-3 catch on Saturday during a 30-minute span. Lincoln and Hawksford, who finished in second, also held the second-place position on Day 1. Kansas State University’s Quinn Fowler and Dylan McKee finished third with 26-3. Ryan Gilbert and Jacob Cllisch of the University of Wisconsin-Plattville caught the Carhartt Big Bass for the event, a 7-1 largemouth that Gilbert weighed in on Friday. The prize was a $500 Carhartt gift card. Hugus and Hahner took the Livingston Lures Leader Award of a $500 gift card with a two-day total of 32-13. The two also won the Bass Pro Nitro Big Bag award with their first-day catch of 19-10 and received a $250 Bass Pro Shops gift card.
The Top 14 teams advance to the Carhartt College Series National Championship to be held later this year.
3/28/2014 - 3/29/2014
Lake of the Ozarks - Public Boat Ramp #2 - Osage Beach, Mo.
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 2
Today's Activity Accumulative
Name College # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz
1 Mark Hugus - Cody Hahner Wisconsin, Stevens Point 5 5 13- 3 10 10 32-13
2 Cody Lincoln - Jason Hawksford Wisconsin, Stevens Point 4 4 11- 3 9 9 27- 4
3 Quinn Fowler - Dylan McKee Kansas State University 5 5 18-12 8 8 26- 3
4 Matt Feiten - Brian Kirt Wisconsin, Stevens Point 4 4 9- 2 9 9 23-10
5 Ryan Gilbert - Jacob Cllisch University of Wisconsin, Plattville 5 5 10-13 8 8 23- 9
6 Ben Verhoef - Tommy Hebson University of Missouri 5 5 13-15 9 9 23- 5
7 Jackson Grabeel - Joseph Reilly Western Illinois University 3 3 8-14 8 8 23- 3
8 Zachary Wiggers - Justin Bruno Grand Valley State University 4 4 14- 7 6 6 20- 4
9 Bryce Wegman - Carlos Thomas Illinois State University 4 4 12- 2 5 5 18- 1
10 Ben Kroeger - Ryan Leach University of Nebraska - Omaha 5 5 13- 0 7 7 17- 8
11 Chris Burgan - Austin Felix University of Minnesota 2 2 8- 4 5 5 16-13
12 Lance Freeman - Seth Brock Murray State University 2 2 3- 8 7 7 16- 9
13 Garrett Cates - Graham Howard Kansas State University 4 4 12- 5 5 5 16- 5
14 Dan Martin - Tyler McCune Eastern Illinois University 2 2 6-14 4 4 15-15
15 Cody Sieben - Dan Schult Murray State University 3 3 7- 2 7 7 15- 2
16 Tyler Nekolny - Samuel Haines Kansas State University 5 5 15- 1 5 5 15- 1
17 Kyle Alsop - Taylor Bivins Kansas State University 2 2 4- 1 7 7 14-11
18 Ben McCullough - Howie Lee University of Missouri 1 1 3- 1 5 5 13- 6
19 Matt Smith - Jarett Svihlik University of Dubuque 4 4 8- 7 6 5 12- 9
20 Nathen Kozlowski - Lance Maldonado Kansas State University 2 2 4- 6 5 5 12- 5
21 Daniel Fuhrig - Michael Fink University of Missouri 2 2 7-12 4 4 12- 4
22 Justin Berger - Cody Santel Murray State University 2 2 4-14 4 4 12- 3
23 Kyle Gates - Katie Edgar St Ambrose University 3 3 6-15 4 4 11-14
24 Michaela Anderson - Bryan Billeadeau University of St Thomas 0 0 0- 0 5 5 10-15
25 Dustin Genrich - Nathan Hettinga University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse 2 2 4-15 4 4 10-10
26 Sean Mulholland - Everett Ridderbos University of Nebraska 3 3 7-15 4 4 10- 2
27 Keaton Williams - Max Mercer University of Iowa 3 3 8- 4 4 4 9-12
28 Andrew Schoenekase - Darren Smith U. of Central Missouri 1 1 5- 8 2 2 9-12
29 William McCabe - Jon Bash University of Nebraska 2 2 4- 0 4 4 8-13
30 Caleb Shoemaker - Sam Wheeler Western Illinois University 2 2 6- 6 3 3 8- 8
31 Sam Starr - Alex Fulkerson Kansas State University 1 1 2-11 4 4 8- 8
32 Kyle Casper - Tyler Hillen Wisconsin, Stevens Point 1 1 2-10 4 4 8- 6
33 Noah Kruzitski - Nicklas Kushnerik Wisconsin, Stevens Point 1 1 3- 2 3 3 8- 6
34 Luke Stoner - Joey Disomma University of Illinois 2 2 4- 4 4 4 8- 2
35 Levi Warner - Konner Kearney University of Wisconsin 1 1 3-11 3 3 8- 1
36 Kody Mattson - Harrison Barton Winona State University 2 2 4- 2 4 4 8- 0
37 Travis Wilson - Brian Lafferty Western Illinois University 3 3 7-11 3 3 7-11
38 Logan Thomas - Ryan Kirkpatrick Murray State University 1 1 2- 0 2 2 7- 8
39 Cade Laufenberg - Wyatt Stout Winona State University 2 2 4-10 3 3 6-12
40 Christian Ponzetti - Adam Hubbs University of Missouri 2 2 4- 9 3 3 6-12
41 Steve Nebel - Jared Mataczynski University of Wisconsin, Whitewater 1 1 1-12 3 3 6-11
42 Jake Crawford - Garrett Price Lake Superior State University 1 1 2- 9 2 2 6-11
43 Aaron Schiller - Andrew Gullickson Wisconsin, Stevens Point 3 3 6-10 3 3 6-10
44 Justin Brown - Brody Layher Northern Michigan University 2 2 6- 5 2 2 6- 5
45 Ted Johnson - Jody Derks Wisconsin, Stevens Point 0 0 0- 0 3 3 6- 4
46 Cass Waddle - Tom Scroppo Western Illinois University 2 2 4- 2 3 3 6- 4
47 Jordan Meddaugh - Samuel Hempel Wisconsin, Stevens Point 1 1 3-10 2 2 6- 4
48 Tucker Oliver - Tyler Cooper University of Missouri 1 1 3-11 2 2 5-15
49 Yu Han - Qiurun Chen University of Illinois 1 1 2- 9 2 2 5-13
50 Marshall Sandretto - Eric Logisz Milwaukee School of Engineering 1 1 2- 4 2 2 5-11
51 Derrick Hoffman - Brody McWilliams Indiana University 1 1 4- 9 2 2 5- 9
52 Jason Shaw - Mathew Cardani Murray State University 1 1 3- 6 2 2 5- 8
53 Scott Sullivan - Chad Siegfried U. of Central Missouri 0 0 0- 0 2 2 5- 4
54 Richard Rappley - Craig Wise Western Illinois University 2 2 5- 0 2 2 5- 0
55 Mitchell Armstrong - Mathew Siebert U. of Central Missouri 1 1 3- 0 2 2 4-14
56 Charlie Sterrett - Brock Phillips University of Illinois 0 0 0- 0 2 2 4- 5
57 Reid Miller - Matt Pasma University of Wisconsin, Stout 1 1 3-14 1 1 3-14
58 Nick Dion - Nate Sleight Lake Superior State University 0 0 0- 0 2 2 3- 8
59 Stephen Farley - Jordan Smith Southern Illinois University of Carbonda 0 0 0- 0 1 1 3- 3
60 Mark Krutzfield - Tony Mehrl University of Iowa 0 0 0- 0 1 1 3- 0
61 Curtis Borawski - Thomas Platt University of Illinois 1 1 2- 0 1 1 2- 0
62 Josh Pagel - Tanner Blaschka University of Wisconsin 0 0 0- 0 1 1 1-15
62 Kyle Vowels - Zachary Woodbury Western Illinois University 1 1 1-15 1 1 1-15
64 Pat Bowers - Sig Finley University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse 1 1 1-14 1 1 1-14
65 Carl Hanson - Vanessa Hanrahan University of Wisconsin, Stout 1 1 1-13 1 1 1-13
66 Jake Ansami - Trevor Epping Wisconsin, Stevens Point 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
66 Nick Carter - Leo Dedering Wisconsin, Stevens Point 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
66 Ethan Dhuyvetter - Dan Towsley Kansas State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
66 Brett Fickle - Layne Woods U. of Central Missouri 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
66 Justin Graben - Randal Argo Murray State 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
66 Brady Gregor - Clayton Moles Southwest Baptist Universty 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
66 Andrew Nordbye - Andrew Almohtadi Northwest Missouri State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
66 Austin Paytash - Nicholas Welu Wisconsin, Stevens Point 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
66 Matthew Trickler - Blaise Weaver University of Nebraska 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
66 Tyler Zimmerman - Andrew Mlotek University of Wisconsin, Whitewater 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
BIG BASS TOTALS
Day Name City,State Lbs-OzDay # Fish # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
1 Ryan Gilbert Sterling, IL 7- 11 122 121 328- 3 7
2 Tyler Nekolny Manhattan, KS 5-152 130 130 355- 6 6