GEORGETOWN, S.C. — Patrick Walters and Tyler All of the University of South Carolina claimed the title of the Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional tournament at Winyah Bay with a three-day total of 47 pounds, 14 ounces of bass. The Summerville, S.C., anglers stayed consistent on Thursday and Friday of this three-day event and saved their explosion for Championship Saturday as they weighed 20 pounds, 11 ounces — the heaviest five-bass limit of the tournament.
Unlike most teams this week, Walters and All targeted an offshore school of bass and capitalized with a solid limit each of the first two days. Most of the bass they weighed in were caught during the first hour of their fishing time. The only thing they were missing each day, was a bigger bass that would provide a comfortable margin over the rest of the field. Today, when it counted most, they checked that accomplishment off the list.
“We targeted bends in the river where the tide and current would concentrate groups of fish,” Walters said. “We focused our efforts on the main river.”
As usual, the pair limited out early and even culled a few times. But the bite stalled after the first hour and half. They changed spots, but Walters felt an overwhelming urge to go back to their bread-and-butter fishing hole that had placed them in the lead.
“We fished a few other areas within this river, and we just didn’t feel comfortable there today,” Walters said. “We went back to our best area and stuck it out. The bigger fish bit for us today.”
The Gamecock teammates utilized both soft and hard jerkbaits to mimic shad and entice bites in a river ditch on the Santee River. They caught most of their bass on soft jerkbaits, but the biggest fish of the day hit a hard jerkbait. Their 7-pound, 6-ounce largemouth today landed them the Bassmaster Big Bass Award, and they also managed the Nitro Boats Big Bag of the Tournament with the 20-11 stringer. For taking the lead after Day 2, the duo also took the Livingston Lures Day 2 Leader Award worth $500 in merchandise.
Coastal Carolina’s Jonathan Kelley and Max McQuaide stayed in second place after weighing 12-15 on Championship Saturday. They managed 38-14 for the three-day event, but fell to Walters and All by 9 pounds. Kelley and McQuaide ran their boat more than 70 miles one way to get to an area in the Pee Dee River where they found plenty of bass all day, but no big ones. Their struggles on Thursday with cloudy conditions hurt their week, but they managed to stay consistent and land limits in the 12- to 14-pound range all week.
The duo of Noah Pescitelli and Sean Hall of the Savannah College of Art and Design jumped from sixth into third on the final day, as they brought the second biggest bag of the day to the scales. They stayed consistent the first two rounds, weighing limits in the 10-pound range. Their 13-14 limit today produced a final tally of 35-4. Collin Smith and Ben Stone of Lander University were fourth with 34-5, and Rick Couch Jr. and John Kaufman of Central Florida finished fifth with 31-7.
The Top 13 teams earned a berth in the Bassmaster College Series National Championship, to be held this summer.
Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional
3/2/2017 - 3/4/2017
Winyah Bay - Georgetown, SC
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 3
Name # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz
1 Patrick Walters - Tyler All University of South Carolina 5 5 20-11 15 15 47-14
2 Jonathan Kelley - Max McQuaide Coastal Carolina University 5 5 12-15 15 15 38-14
3 Sean Hall - Noah Pescitelli SCAD 5 5 13-14 15 15 35- 4
4 Collin Smith - Ben Stone Lander University 5 5 13- 0 15 15 34- 5
5 Rick Couch Jr - John Kaufman U. of Central Florida 4 4 10- 5 14 14 31- 7
6 Zachary Ramsey - Joshua Rockefeller Augusta University 3 3 10- 2 13 13 29-11
7 John Duarte - Chesley Alford Coastal Carolina University 2 2 3- 2 12 12 28-14
8 Spencer DeFoor - Brandon Bland U. of South Alabama 5 5 8- 6 15 15 28-14
9 Andrew Warbington - Brant Lewis University of West Alabama 5 5 11- 0 15 15 28- 7
10 Max Gresham - Zack Blake Valdosta State University 5 5 7-11 15 15 27-15
11 Cody Stahl - Daniel Kennedy SCAD 3 3 6- 8 13 13 27-15
12 J T Russell - Chase Grubbs University of Montevallo 5 5 8-14 15 15 27-10
13 Baylor Ronemus - Cole Tinsley Clemson University 5 5 9- 6 13 12 27- 7
14 Wesley Griner - Nathan Ragsdale University of Georgia 5 5 8-13 15 15 26- 4
15 Austin Mize - Ethan Goodwin U. of North Alabama 5 5 6-15 15 15 25- 6
16 Armando Ortiz - Dylan McKee Auburn University 1 1 2- 7 11 11 25- 5
17 Chris Hiott - Kendall Pierce UAB 3 3 3-13 13 13 23- 7
18 Jarrett Brown - Porter James University of Montevallo 3 3 4- 3 13 13 23- 3
19 Caleb Bundy - Alex Moore U. of Central Florida 1 1 2- 6 10 10 20-12
20 Daniel Murkerson - Case Key UAB 1 1 1-11 9 9 19- 2
21 Hunter Franklin - Jesse Morrison U. of South Alabama 10 10 17- 5
22 Brett Blackwood - Justin Grigg Winthrop University 10 10 16-14
23 Chris Carnes - Tyler Lawwill UNC Charlotte 10 10 16-13
24 Hunter McCarty - Sloan Pennington U. of North Alabama 9 9 16-12
25 Austin Handley - Caleb Wozniak Auburn University 8 8 16- 9
26 Joshua Butts - Reid Connor Wallace State Hanceville 10 9 16- 3
27 Zachary Bodford - Hunter Whitman NC State University 10 10 15-14
28 Brady Vernon - John Turner University of Montevallo 10 10 15-10
29 Alec Lower - Ryan Glennon NC State University 10 10 15- 0
30 Justin Barnes - Cole Blackmon Alabama Southern 8 8 14- 7
31 Jordan Heath - Taylor Tew Auburn University 7 7 14- 6
32 Tyler Woolcott - Daytona State College 8 8 14- 6
33 Brian Travers - Hunter Moore Liberty University 10 10 14- 5
34 Nathan Martin - Bridger Thomas U. of North Alabama 7 7 14- 3
35 Austin Stanley - Knox Daniels Georgia College 9 9 13-14
36 Cole Burdeshaw - Cameron Mercer Auburn University 7 7 13-13
37 Daulton Smith - Cody Billings University of Georgia 7 7 13-11
38 Cole Hewett - Jacob Romani U. of Central Florida 9 9 13-11
39 Ryan Kent - Tyler Wilson Georgia Southern University 7 7 13- 5
40 Zac Bennett - Tucker Sweat Georgia College 9 9 12- 9
41 Thomas Oltorik III - John Byrd Stetson University 7 7 12- 4
42 Jake Smith - Larry Partain Wallace State Hanceville 7 7 12- 4
43 Daniel Adrien - Mason Bond Georgia College 7 7 12- 2
44 Tyler Brown - Clemson University 8 8 12- 1
45 Derek Freeman - Robert White Clemson University 8 8 11-10
46 Jared Baker - Darius Williams Georgia Southern University 7 7 11- 8
47 Brodie Cox - Jacob Robbins Clemson University 7 7 11- 7
48 Hunter McKamey - Kyle Oliver U. of Central Florida 5 5 10- 8
49 Matthew Cantrell - Grant Bergeron University of Florida 6 6 10- 7
50 Nick Gresens - Chase Williams Georgia College 8 8 10- 4
51 Caiden Sinclair - Hunter Gibson University of Alabama 7 7 10- 2
52 Cole Nunnery - Jack Stegall Mississippi State 7 7 10- 1
53 Justin Roberts - Alexis Joyce SCAD 4 4 8-14
54 Tyler Smith - Cody Whisenhunt U. of South Alabama 5 5 8-13
55 Laura Ann Foshee - Katie Connolly SCAD 7 7 8-11
56 Justin Jones - Zach Lineberry Troy University 5 5 8- 8
57 Dylan Burton - Andrew Shaddix U. of South Alabama 4 4 8- 6
58 Hunter Bland - Connor Young University of Florida 6 6 7-12
59 Jesse James - AJ Etheredge Troy University 6 6 7- 5
60 Wesley Fox - Nick Schultz UNC Charlotte 4 4 5-13
61 Jake Lee - Jacob Foutz Bryan College 3 3 5-13
62 Hayden Carnell - Joshua McQueen UAB 4 4 5- 3
63 Allan Stack - Ross Dove Clemson University 4 4 4-10
64 Morgan Locke - Florida State University 2 2 4- 6
65 Chase Christie - Brandon Black University of West Georgia 3 3 3-11
66 Dylan Bucci - Collin Reedy University of Florida 2 2 3- 8
67 Tucker Adams - Bryce White Mississippi State 2 2 2-15
68 Nathan Bell - Cole Sands Bryan College 2 2 2-11
69 Andrew Kiser - Dean Legg Clemson University 1 1 2- 3
70 Michael Blake - Jayme Dewberry Auburn University 2 2 1-15
71 John Defore - Colton Granger Troy University 1 1 1-12
72 Zachary Phillips - Noah Coleman Liberty University 1 1 1- 7
73 Jaci Skipper - Ryleigh Tyson SCAD 1 1 1- 1
74 AJ Faught - Austin Scott Wallace State Hanceville 0 0 0- 0
74 Tucker Hill - Austin Birch Georgia Southern University 0 0 0- 0
74 Caleb Roberson - Brinson Laliberte The Citadel 0 0 0- 0
74 Miller Spivey - Logan Ledbetter Wallace State Hanceville 0 0 0- 0
BIG BASS
Day Name City,State Lbs-Oz
1 John Duarte - Chesley Alford Middle River, MD 5-13
2 Zachary Ramsey - Joshua Rockefeller Augusta, GA 5- 8
3 Patrick Walters - Tyler All Summerville, SC 7- 6
TOTALS
Day # Fish # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
1 267 266 485- 7 34
2 256 255 466- 0 40
3 76 76 166- 2 11