DURANT, Okla. — John Ledet and Justin Cooper talked all week about how timing was everything for the success of their fishing strategy for the tournament on Lake Murray. On Saturday, the anglers representing Northwestern State University showed up again, on the right place at the right time. In doing so, they won the Bassmaster College Series Wild Card. After taking the lead on Friday, the team from Natchitoches, La., sealed the win by catching a five-bass limit that weighed 18 pounds, 1 ounce. The final catch gave them a three-day total of 51-7. J.P. Kimbrough and Jared Rascoe, fishing for Louisiana State University-Shreveport, took second place with 46-11. Aaron Belgard and Logan Laprarie, another team from Northwestern State, came in third with 46-8.
“The timing was really the key,” said Ledet, 21, a senior majoring in business management with a marketing emphasis. “When the wind picked up, we needed to be on our best spot.”
That area, spanning just 10 acres, attracted bass to a bed of submerged hydrilla growing within 3 feet of the surface. The bass weren’t alone.
“In our livewell, we had regurgitated bluegill the bass had eaten,” added Cooper, 22, a senior majoring in biology with a biomedical focus.
The food source and habitat combined to help the winners develop a successful strategy. The spot actually got better each day. Northwestern State started the tournament in sixth place with 15-12. They took the lead with a second-day catch of 17-10 that gave them 33-6 heading into the final round.
“It got better today (Saturday) because there was more wind,” said Cooper.
More wind and overcast skies stimulated baitfish activity and the predatory instinct of the bass. A V&M Pacemaker Lightning Blade, chartreuse in color to match the hue of the bluegill, was the key lure. The leadhead jig and spinner combination produced strikes as the lure was ripped through the vegetation. Seclusion was another key.
“We had the place to ourselves, and that was a big deal,” said Ledet. “There were boats all around us, but the fishing pressure never really affected us.”
Lake Murray spans 5,700 acres, and with 80 teams competing, the fishing pressured mounted by end of the tournament. Under calm conditions, the team alternated between a V&M Chopstick, a soft-plastic stick bait, and a V&M J Bug jig. The anglers fished both lures in reeds and aquatic grass growing near the shoreline. Bass fishing teams from more than 40 colleges and universities competed in the tournament.
Saturday, the Top 20 teams competed for 13 available berths in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. The tournament is scheduled for July 28-30 in Campbellsville, Ky., on Green River Lake.
Teams in this week’s event earned contingency awards from tournament sponsors. Northwestern State University, led by Cooper and Ledet, won the Livingston Lures Leader Award and $250 in merchandise for leading the tournament on Day 2.
Texas State University won the Nitro Big Bag Award after catching the heaviest single-day weight. On Friday, Sam Stone and Evan Coleman caught a limit weighing 19-3 to win a $250 gift card from Bass Pro Shops.
Hunter Loudon of Bethel University caught a largemouth weighing 8-7 to win the Carhartt Big Bass Award and a $500 gift card.
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 3
Lake Murray - Ardmore, OK
6/9/2016 - 6/11/2016
Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Wild Card presented by Bass Pro Shops
Today's Activity
# Fish Lbs - Oz
Accumulative
Name # Live # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz
1 John Ledet - Justin Cooper Northwestern State University 5 5 18- 1 15 15 51- 7
2 JP Kimbrough - Jared Rascoe LSU Shreveport 5 5 18-15 15 15 46-11
3 Aaron Belgard - Logan Laprarie Northwestern State University 5 5 17-13 15 15 46- 8
4 Chris Blanchette - Dylan Allison University of South Carolina 5 4 14- 4 15 14 41- 6
5 Zach Hurst - Austyn Fowler Tarleton State University 5 5 13- 4 15 15 41- 1
6 Josh Bensema - Tyler Anderson Texas A&M University 5 5 11-11 15 15 40-13
7 Ty Cox - Jake Houston Itawamba Community College 5 4 11-11 15 14 39- 9
8 Sam Stone - Evan Coleman Texas State University 5 5 7- 6 15 15 39- 4
9 Brian Pahl - John Garrett Bethel University 5 5 13-12 15 14 38- 7
10 Hunter Louden - Bethel University 2 2 10- 1 12 12 38- 5
11 Zach Ziober - Dakota Ebare Tarleton State University 5 5 7-10 15 14 37-10
12 Stetson Overton - Justin Seeton Tarleton State University 5 5 12- 1 15 15 37- 1
13 Sheldon Rogge - Parker Davis Kansas State University 5 5 13- 8 15 15 36-11
14 Patrick Walters - Brian Sweeney University of South Carolina 5 5 12-13 15 15 36-10
15 Reed Foster - Zackery Hines Dallas Baptist University 5 5 9-15 15 14 35- 6
16 Trent Newman - Nathan Wood Dallas Baptist University 5 4 9- 7 15 14 34- 3
17 Ty Dyer - Ricky Harris Bethel University 5 5 7-12 15 14 30-13
18 CJ Knight - Mitchell Jennings Auburn University 2 2 3- 6 12 12 30-12
19 Morgan Locke - Logan Elton Florida State University 5 4 6-15 15 14 30-11
20 Dawson Lenz - Evan Horne University of North Alabama 5 5 6-15 15 15 30- 2
21 Jason Ashe - Western Carolina University 10 10 22-10
22 Dalton Warrington - Chris Bradley Southwestern Oklahoma State University 10 8 22- 7
23 Chris Zins - Zach Holliday University of Central Oklahoma 10 10 22- 5
24 Jared Bourgeois - Parker White LSU 10 10 22- 1
25 Andrew Madison - Jose Palma University of Central Oklahoma 10 10 21-11
26 Dustin Nash - Thomas Merchant Northwestern State University 10 10 21- 7
27 Wyatt Frankens - Hunter Price Stephen F Austin University 10 9 21- 6
28 Adam Burkett - Christian Brown LSU Shreveport 10 10 21- 1
29 Makenzie Henson - Sloan Pennington U. of North Alabama 10 10 20-11
30 Kyler Chelminiak - Alec Piekarski Bethel University 10 10 20-10
31 Alex Murray - Alex Felder Southeastern Louisiana University 9 9 20- 1
32 Nathan Martin - Joe Nakai U. of North Alabama 10 10 19-14
33 Taylor Umland - Justin Schick Illinois State University 8 7 19-11
34 Cameron Brooks - Mason Sapp Campbellsville University 10 10 19-11
35 Wyatt Burkhalter - Taylor Teague University of West Alabama 10 9 18-14
36 Tanner Crim - Zach Montalvo Tarleton State University 10 9 18-13
37 Mitchell Mayard - Owen Richard LSU 9 9 18- 6
38 Spencer Lambert - Thomas Soileau La Monroe 10 9 18- 3
39 Tyler Woods - Robert Tweed Stephen F Austin State University 10 10 18- 2
40 Cody Metzger - Conner Schwab Northeastern State University 10 10 18- 2
41 Garrett Stone - Collin Chandler University of Georgia 9 9 18- 0
42 Cody Peak - Jeff Roman Clayton IV Mississippi State University 10 9 17-14
43 Jordan Ledbetter - Taylor Schmitt McKendree University 10 10 17- 9
44 Cody Cleary - Max Gresham Valdosta State University 10 10 17- 6
45 Caleb Garvin - CJ Holbrook Mississippi State University 10 10 17- 2
46 Clayton Godfrey - John-Michael Brattlof Stephen F Austin State University 10 8 17- 2
47 Tyler Craig - Hunter Freeman La Monroe 10 10 16-15
48 Michael Corbishley - Austin Warmus East Carolina University 10 10 16-14
49 Dillon Harrell - Dustin Moreno Sam Houston State University 9 9 16-13
50 Adam Neill - Thomas Mistead University of Alabama 10 10 16-11
51 Forrest Sears - Greg Dean Wallace State Comm College 7 7 16- 9
52 Eric Hanna - Oklahoma State University 10 8 16- 9
53 Jacob Fournier - Jared Bascle Nicholls State 10 10 15-13
54 Brock Wilke - JT Russell McKendree University 9 9 15- 5
55 Dakota Sparks - Levi Sharp LSU 9 9 14-13
56 Garrett Goettee - Grant Pietsch Texas A&M University at Galveston 8 6 14- 6
57 Dakota Cline - Stephen F Austin University 8 7 14- 5
58 Cody Billings - Daulton Smith University of Georgia 9 9 14- 3
59 Jared Baker - Layton Jones Georgia Southern University 10 9 14- 3
60 Jacob Reome - Daniel Rupee Clemson University 10 10 14- 2
61 Zachary Bodford - NC State University 8 8 14- 2
62 Nicholas DiCamillo - Justin Hettinga New Mexico State University 9 9 13-14
63 Levi Umland - Heartland Community College 8 8 13-12
64 Ryan Kennedy - Frank Lillig Kennesaw State University 8 8 13- 8
65 Chandler South - JR Wright Itawamba Community College 6 6 13- 1
66 Mack Hicks - Alice Lloyd College 9 9 12-12
67 Alex Schieman - Garrett Reynolds Georgia College 8 8 12- 8
68 Tyler Brown - Baylor Ronemus Clemson University 7 7 12- 4
69 Charles Conger - Jackson Moody Kennesaw State University 9 9 11-15
70 Nick Ratliff - Grant Adams Campbellsville University 5 5 10-12
71 Adam Carman - Justin Mayfield Campbellsville University 7 7 10- 8
72 Armando Ortiz - Roy Zhang Auburn University 6 6 9-14
73 Ashley Ruggles - Jeff White Drury University 7 7 9-11
74 Tyler Moses - Brennan Soileau LA Tech 8 7 9- 8
75 Derek Louderbaugh - Drury University 5 5 6- 0
76 Cameron Simmons - Cameron DeBorde Oklahoma State 5 5 5-13
77 Scott Fair - Northwestern State University 2 2 4- 1
78 Landon Tucker - Valdosta State University 2 2 3-11
79 Benjamin Webster - Andrew Deloney University of Alabama 3 3 3- 7
80 Logan Shaddix - Ethan Flack University of Alabama 1 1 1- 3
Name City,State Lbs-Oz
BIG BASS
Day
1 Trent Newman - Nathan WoodDallas, TX 4-10
2 Sam Stone - Evan Coleman Austin, TX 7-11
3 Springville, TN 8- 7
Day # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
TOTALS
# Fish
1 362 352 737- 6 62
2 345 334 719-12 58
3 94 90 227- 4 18