SPRING CITY, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee’s Tyler Wadzinski and Matt Beeler might want to go searching area boat dealerships tonight for Austin Neary and Zachary Hicks. That’s because their fate could be influenced by the emerging bad luck, or not, of the team from Western North Carolina. Neary and Hicks believe they could have easily weighed in 20 pounds had their motor not been damaged during the run to their first spot. The team weighed 16 pounds of bass after returning 30 minutes early and loading their disabled boat for a trip to a mechanic.
Meanwhile, Wadzinski and Beeler weighed 16 pounds, 5 ounces to take the slim lead after Day 1 of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Regional.The Vols completed their limit at 11 a.m., and then went searching for new water. Wadzinski and Beeler live only an hour’s drive away from their campus. Even so, they’ve only made a collective six trips to Watts Bar Reservoir. That’s partially due to their recently awarded degrees. Wadzinski got his in Biochemical Cellular Molecular Biology (BCMB). Beeler has a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. The study time no doubt cut into their fishing.
“It did, but we’re pretty confident in what we have going on here,” Beeler said. “We didn’t see any boats doing what we are doing on the lake.”
What that might be remains a secret. The team admitted to catching bass shallow and deep. In the latter case around 8 feet, which is still shallow by how the prevailing offshore patterns are evolving.
“We decided early on that we had either the choice to fish conservatively and try to make the (national) championship or swing for the fence and win this tournament,” Wadzinski added.
Good thing they did. So did Western Carolina’s Neary and Hicks. They gambled and ran far up lake. Taking a short cut through a canal as a timesaver proved nearly disastrous. The boat struck bottom and nearly destroyed the outboard’s lower unit and severely bent the ears of the high performance prop. Somehow, the team pressed on and arrived at their intended destination. The perseverance paid off with the limit. Then their luck changed.
“At the boat we had what easily was a 10-pounder,” Hicks said. “It came off right in front of us.”
The fish was close enough to splash both anglers with water before disappearing into the depths of the lake.
“We still feel pretty good about what we’re doing,” Neary said. “We’ve just got to get the motor fixed for tomorrow.”
Tomorrow marks a first for this collegiate format. The college anglers weigh their catches on the same scales and stage used by the Bassmaster Elite Series pros. Some of them will be spectators after making the Top 50 cut leading up to this weekend’s championship round.
Lots of prizes are up for grabs at tomorrow’s collegiate final round. The Carhartt Big Bass award worth $500 goes to the team weighing the heaviest bass. The winning team receives the Livingston Lures Leader award, worth $500 in Livingston products. The Bass Pro Nitro Big Bag award of $250 goes to the single-day heaviest weight.
Follow the final day of competition on Watts Bar at Bassmaster.com. You’ll find a live blog and photo galleries leading up to the weigh-in at 4 p.m. ET at the BASSfest venue. The location is 175 Lakeshore Dr. in Dayton.
Bassmaster College Series - Eastern
6/12/2014 - 6/13/2014
Watts Bar Reservoir - Dayton, TN
STANDINGS BOATER DAY 1
Today's Activity Accumulative
Name - School Fish Live s - Oz Fish Lives - Oz
1 Tyler Wadzinski - Matt Beeler U. of Tennessee 5 5 6- 5 5 5 16- 5
2 Austin Neary - Zachary Hicks Western Carolina 5 5 6- 0 5 5 16- 0
3 Brandon Koon - Blake Welch Bethel University 5 5 3-13 5 5 13-13
4 Dalton Wilson - Randall Morris Bethel University 5 5 3- 8 5 5 13- 8
5 Mike Huff - John Hunter Georgetown College 5 5 3- 7 5 5 13- 7
6 Ethan McDonald - Ryan Swallows Tenn Tech University 5 5 3- 3 5 5 13- 3
7 Kyle Raymer - Ethan Snyder Eastern Kentucky 5 5 3- 1 5 5 13- 1
8 Zachary Blalock - Kyle Albers East Carolina University 5 5 2-10 5 5 12-10
9 Robert Giarla - Bentley Manning Tenn Tech University 5 5 2- 9 5 5 12- 9
10 Zach Bodford - Lance Phearsdorf NC State 5 4 2- 0 5 4 12- 0
11 Lance Geren - Robbie Moore UT Chattanooga 5 5 1-12 5 5 11-12
12 Carson Orellana - Mitchell Community 5 5 1- 6 5 5 11- 6
13 Chris Hunt - Kyle Warwick Lincoln Memorial 4 4 1- 2 4 4 11- 2
14 Ryan Collins - Andrew Day U. of Kentucky 5 4 1- 0 5 4 11- 0
15 Cory Fox - Dylan Cooper Virginia Tech 3 3 0-14 3 3 10-14
16 Jay Emmert - Christian Peake U. of Tennessee 4 4 0- 7 4 4 10- 7
17 Charlie Sipe - Hunter Hill Appalachian State 5 5 0- 6 5 5 10- 6
18 Jake Whitaker - Andre Helms UNC Charlotte 3 3 0- 3 3 3 10- 3
19 Brandon Kersnowski - Cole Blythe UNC Charlotte 3 3 9- 4 3 3 9- 4
20 Matt Allen - Zach Youngblood Tenn Tech University 4 4 8-14 4 4 8-14
21 Cody Griffey - Peter Kenny Christopher Newport 5 5 8-11 5 5 8-11
22 Seth Winslow - Taylor Godsey Christopher Newport 4 4 8-11 4 4 8-11
23 Zach Parker - Matt Roberts Bethel University 4 4 8- 1 4 4 8- 1
24 Hunter Louden - Matthew Palmer Bethel University 3 3 7- 8 3 3 7- 8
25 Christian Cook - Shane Poore Appalachian State 4 4 6- 6 4 4 6- 6
26 Cody Ross - Dewey Swims Bethel University 3 3 6- 6 3 3 6- 6
27 Joe Maciejewski - Matt Anderson Roanoke College 3 3 6- 2 3 3 6- 2
28 Shaw Owens - Chris Harless Eastern Kentucky 2 2 5-12 2 2 5-12
29 Ryan Armes - Joe Ellis Tenn Tech University 2 2 5- 8 2 2 5- 8
30 Benjamin Freeman - Dillon McGee Bethel University 2 2 5- 2 2 2 5- 2
31 Edward Rude III - Matthew Gibson West Virginia 2 2 4-11 2 2 4-11
32 Wade Brown - Jacob Meadows U. of Louisville 1 1 4-11 1 1 4-11
33 Caleb Baker - Michael Watts Alice Lloyd College 1 1 4-10 1 1 4-10
34 William Shipes - Clemson University 2 2 4- 7 2 2 4- 7
35 Hunter Haney - Colby Harville U. of North Alabama 2 2 3-14 2 2 3-14
36 Eli Lawson - Ethan Howell Appalachian State 2 2 3- 6 2 2 3- 6
37 Colin Bennett - Dylan Powley UT Martin 1 1 3- 5 1 1 3- 5
38 Blaine Atkins - Beau Custer Patrick Henry 1 1 3- 4 1 1 3- 4
38 Marty Ballard - Kris Steele U. of Kentucky 1 1 3- 4 1 1 3- 4
38 Matthew Combs - Jacob Marshall West Virginia 1 1 3- 4 1 1 3- 4
41 Shawn Combs - James Hill Georgetown College 3 3 2- 6 3 3 2- 6
42 Austin Meeks - Josh Cagle Middle Tennessee 1 1 2- 6 1 1 2- 6
43 Ross Dove - Jesse Edmonds Emmanuel College 1 1 2- 4 1 1 2- 4
43 Brett Webster - Kenny Elkins U. of North Alabama 1 1 2- 4 1 1 2- 4
45 Ronnie Moore - East Carolina University 1 1 1-13 1 1 1-13
46 Caleb Huges - Kinley Vance Middle Tennessee 1 1 1-12 1 1 1-12
47 Andrew Jackson - Trey Stewartson Virginia Tech 1 1 1- 3 1 1 1- 3
48 Logan Brewster - Daniel Martinez U. of Tennessee 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
48 Trey Joyce - Brandon McAlexander Patrick Henry 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
48 Colt Kelso - Andrew Tate U. of North Alabama 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
48 Jackson Minnich - Parker Hurst U. of Tennessee 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
48 Sam Mughal - Caleb Cushman UT Chattanooga 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
48 Tim Painter - Jordan Backus U. of Tennessee 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
48 Chris Phinney - Bailey Abernathy East Carolina 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
48 Joe Slagle - Andy Vanderwall Tenn Tech University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
48 Tyler Watson - Gavyn Bridges UT Chattanooga 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
57 Michael Corbishley - TJ Chafatelli East Carolina 1 1 1- 7 1 1 -1- 7
BIG BASS TOTALS
Day Name City, State Lbs - Oz Day Fish Live Lbs - Oz Limits
1 Austin Near Cullowhee, NC 5- 8 1 147 145 61- 4 15