LAKEPORT, Calif. (Oct. 13, 2013) – The Humboldt State University team of Graeme Lock of Arcata, Calif., and Derrick Hicks of Lincoln, Calif., won the FLW College Fishing Western Conference Invitational tournament on Clear Lake Sunday with a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 1 ounce. Their two-day total of 10 bass weighing 41-10 earned the club $4,000 and qualified the team for the 2014 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
Lock and Hicks picked up their first win and a trip to the 2014 FLW College Fishing National Championship by locking down on a group of fish that carried them throughout the two-day event.
“Finding the fish was the biggest thing you had to do,” said Hicks, a senior Business major. “The first day we spent a lot of time running around to find fish. We didn’t find them until the afternoon, so we only spent a few hours on our good spot on day one.
“We fished a stretch of bank that was maybe 30 or 40 yards long,” continued Hicks. “The key was staying on those fish.”
“Neither of us pre-fished,” said Lock, an undecided freshman. “But, Derrick (Hicks) had heard that shad occasionally go to Horseshoe Cove, and we went there and found bait and found fish on them.
“We found a good bite in about 18 feet of water. We were drop-shotting Margarita Mutilator-colored Roboworms both days,” finished Lock.
“I’m pretty excited,” said Hicks. “This is the first tournament I’ve won and the last season I’m fishing. I graduate in December. I’ve come close a few times, but I finally pulled it off and it feels good.”
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2014 FLW College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Humboldt State University – Graeme Lock, Arcata, Calif., and Derrick Hicks, Lincoln, Calif.
(10 bass, 41-10, $4,000)
2nd: Cal Poly – John Zeolla, Oak Park, Calif., and Kyle Greenlaw, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
(10 bass, 37-11, $2,000)
3rd: California State University-Monterey Bay – Andrew Sjostrom and Joshua Smith, both of Seaside, Calif.
(nine bass, 37-2, $1,000)
4th: Sacramento State – Thomas Kanemoto, Elk Grove, Calif., and Kyle Derbish, Sacramento, Calif.
(nine bass, 35-4, $1,000)
5th: Chico State – Nick Carrico, Oroville, Calif., and Andrew Loberg, Rocklin, Calif. (eight bass, 35-4, $1,000)
6th: Oregon State University – Zach MacDonald, Willits, Calif., and Ryan Sparks, Gearhart, Ore. (nine bass, 34-14)
7th: Humboldt State University – Christopher Childers, McKinleyville, Calif., and Erich Coulter, Arcata, Calif. (nine bass, 33-1)
8th: California State University-Monterey Bay – Sebastian Resendiz and Matthew Diaz, both of Castroville, Calif. (10 bass, 31-9)
9th: Sonoma State University – Ernest Gorham, Rohnert Park, Calif., and Adrien Briens, Carlsbad, Calif. (seven bass, 27-12)
10th: University of Colorado-Colorado Springs – Justin Solverson and Peter Decker, both of Colorado Springs, Colo.
(seven bass, 24-2)