Murray State Claims BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Title By Narrow Margin Over University Of North Texas

LAKE LEWISVILLE, TX June 1, 2009 - Under near perfect weather conditions, college bass fishing's premier event concluded with Murray State University slipping past University of North Texas to claim the 2009 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship title. Murray State joins past champions North Carolina State (2006), Texas A&M (2007) and University of Arkansas (2008) as winners of the event.

"Murray State's win is very impressive considering this is the largest field we've ever had. Over 140 teams from more than 70 schools registered this year. My hat's off to them for a fine win. They're going to be great champions and ambassadors for collegiate bass fishing over the next year," stated Wade Middleton, Tournament Director.

The week long event sanctioned by the Association of College Anglers (ACA) was held at Sneaky Pete's on Lake Lewisville Texas. Top collegiate bass anglers, sponsors and leading industry professionals enjoyed camaraderie with one another as they participated in activities throughout the week highlighted by the competition. All of the action throughout the week as well as coverage of the 2009 ACA sanctioned regional tournaments leading up to the championship will be televised on Versus; Saturday mornings at 12:30 EST beginning in August.

After securing the day one lead with 21.66 pounds, Kalem Tippett and Vincent Campisano of Murray State University brought 14.50 pounds to the scales for a two day total of 36.16 to win the championship. The team outweighed University of North Texas, who had a two day total weight of 35.36, by less than a pound.

The same offshore ledge that yielded four of the five bass that the team weighed on day one surrendered the winning limit on day two. The first day, a Strike King Series 6 crankbait fished on Loomis Crankin Sticks generated the strikes, however, the team had to switch to Texas rigged Paca Craws to tempt the bass to bite on the final day. Vincent explained "They were relating to stumps in about 10 feet of water positioned on the sweet spot of the ledge." When asked what it meant to win the prestigious event, Kalem commented "This is a huge step toward my goal of establishing a career as a bass tournament pro. We want to thank our sponsors: Hinton Archery, Neace Lukens Insurance Co., Jet-A-Marina, Laboratory Supply Co. and Mr. C Refrigeration."

Brandon Dickenson and Austin Hollowell representing University of North Texas were picked by many as the favorites to win the event. On day one, the pair of anglers used their local knowledge to catch bass throughout the day - eventually culling up to 20.54 pounds. On day 2 they were the first team to catch a limit and seemed to be in control until Murray State made a charge late in the day. Austin Hollowell of University of North Texas stated "When the lake was off limits we practiced on other nearby lakes to get a feel for how the fish were positioned in the marinas. That helped us determine what we needed to do going into this event. We targeted poles and tire reefs near marinas fishing very slowly with wacky worms and jigs in depths ranging from 8 to 10 feet. On the final day, we were fortunate to catch what we caught."

Brandon Dickerson commented "I have to admit we had some very fortunate luck in this tournament. Going into the event I thought 32 pounds for two days would be the most we could catch if everything went just right. We had two big bites the first day of the tournament that really helped. It was a fun event. Congrats to Murray State - they flat out whacked them!" Austin and Brandon continued to thank Falcon Rods, Pure Fishing, Tackle Warehouse and Excite Baits for their support.

Rounding out the top 10 teams were:

3rd place Northwestern State University 33.02
4th place Eastern Kentucky University 29.66
5th place Louisiana Tech University 29.56
6th place Virginia Tech 29.45
7th place University of North Alabama 29.09
8th place Louisiana Tech University #2 28.46
9th place Texas Tech 28.25
10th place University of Kentucky 26.83

For more information on the event, pictures and full results call 210-697-8081 or go to CollegiateBassChampionship.com

National Supporters of BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship and Association of Collegiate Anglers events include: BoatUS, BoatUS ANGLER , Cabelas, Ranger Boats, TruckVault, Costa Del Mar, Berkley, Aviva Fishin Buddy, Activision, Sperry Top Sider, Sebile Lures, Frogg Toggs, Gemini Custom Apparel , Yamaha, Plano, Garmin, Power Pole, All Star Rod, Abu Garcia, Lago Vista Lodge, American Rodsmith, Dodge, SureLife, City of Lewisville, Sneaky Pete's, Columbia Sportswear, The Bass Federation and Anglers Legacy.

2009 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Announces Largest Collegiate Bass Fishing Event Ever Held

LAKE LEWISVILLE, TX, May 20, 2009 -- With 286 student anglers representing 73 universities registered for the 2009 BoatUS National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, it will easily surpass last year's record field of 194 by over 90 anglers making it the largest collegiate bass fishing tournament ever held. Officials for the event this year had to expand the field to accommodate the record number of registrants.

"The explosive growth that club fishing has had among America's colleges over the past few years is a testament to the quality of this event, which is the premier collegiate fishing tournament. The participating anglers are the future of our sport, and we are proud to support them in their quest to be successful - and safe, tournament anglers," stated Chris Edmonston of BoatUS.

Every two-person team attending Cabela's College Day at the Cabela's retail store in Fort Worth, Texas on May 25 will be treated to a $100 shopping spree complements of Cabela's. Seminars will also be provided by several top bass fishing pros such as Clark Wendlandt, Kelly Jordon, Dave Smith, Sean Hornke, Mike Hawkes and Jeff Kriet.

The collegiate anglers will enjoy numerous incentive and discount purchasing programs provided by BoatUS ANGLER, Cabela's, Pure Fishing, Costa Del Mar, Sperry Top-Sider and Gemini Sport Marketing, as well as product samples provided by all the sponsors on site at the event. Contestants will also receive travel stipends and complementary meals to further offset costs. Scholarships and merchandise awards will be made to the top finishers - all designed to promote the growth of collegiate bass fishing.

"We continue to be impressed by the rapid growth of this tournament and collegiate bass fishing as a whole, but we're most proud to be here to provide these students the support they need both on and off the water. The dedication and can-do attitude that they bring to the table is so encouraging for the future of tournament angling and the sport of recreational fishing," said Mike Pellerin, Director of BoatUS ANGLER.

All of the action and excitement during this event will be captured by Careco Multimedia's camera teams and will be featured on the television series airing on the Versus network starting this August on Saturdays at 12:30PM EST.

"This field size this year is amazing. This event features some of the anglers who participated in our very first event in 2006. As seniors this year, they will be transitioning into the business world and will be ambassadors of the sport of fishing based on their experiences at this event and others," stated Wade Middleton, Tournament Director.

All tournament activities will take place at Sneaky Pete's, located on Lake Lewisville in Lewisville, Texas. The official practice period is May 26 & 27. Registration and the pre-tournament banquet will take place on the evening of May 27. Competition days are May 28 & 29. For updates on the event, visit CollegiateBassChampionship.com.

The 73 schools that will be represented include : Arizona State University, Arkansas Tech University, Auburn University, Baylor University, Boise State University, Clemson University, Drury University, East Carolina University, Eastern Kentucky University, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Faulkner University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Freed-Hardeman University, Friends University, Georgia College & State University, Henderson State University, Indiana University, Kansas State University, Lamar University, Louisiana State University - Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University, Metro State College of Denver, Midwestern State University, Murray State University, North Carolina State, Northeastern A&M College, Northwestern State University, Oklahoma State University, Penn State University, Purdue University, Radford University, Sam Houston State University, Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, Stephen F. Austin State University, Tarleton State University, Tennessee Tech University, Texas A&M Galveston, Texas A&M Kingsville, Texas A&M University, Texas State University, Texas Tech University, University of Alabama, University of Alabama - Birmingham, University of Arkansas, University of Arkansas - Little Rock, University of Arkansas - Monticello, University of Central Arkansas, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Iowa, University of Kentucky, University of Louisiana Lafayette, University of Louisville, University of Mississippi, University of Montevallo, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, University of Nevada - Reno, University of North Alabama, University of North Texas, University of Oklahoma, University of Oregon, University of South Alabama, University of Tennessee - Chattanooga, University of Tennessee - Knoxville, University of Tennessee - Martin, University of Texas - Arlington, University of Texas - Austin, University of Texas - Tyler, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, Virginia Tech University, Wabash College, and Western Kentucky University.

National supporters of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship and Association of Collegiate Anglers events include : BoatUS, BoatUS ANGLER, Cabela's,, Ranger Boats, TruckVault, Costa Del Mar, Berkley, Aviva Fishin Buddy, Sperry Top-Sider, Sebile Lures, Frogg Toggs, Columbia Sportswear, Yamaha, Plano, Garmin, Power Pole, All Star Rod, Abu Garcia, Gemini Custom Apparel, Columbia Sportswear, Power Pole, Activision's Rapala Fishing Frenzy, American Rodsmith, Lago Vista Lodge, City of Lewisville, Dodge, Sneaky Pete's and The Bass Federation.

Arkansas Razorbacks take coveted National Collegiate Bass Fishing title

Sept. 20, 2008, LEWISVILLE, Texas– When the day began, it was a University of Arkansas team positioned to be the lone spoiler among the five finalists capable of keeping a Texas school from again taking home the BoatU.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship trophy. Included in the final-day shootout were Arkansas, Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas A&M-Kingsville and defending champion Texas A&M.

All teams started the day with a score of zero and the equal beginning seemed to keep the anglers patient, focused and fishing to their strengths. By weigh-in, several keeper bass had found the way to livewells and the stage at Sneaky Pete's Marina. The crowd of fans and onlookers that had gathered were wowed once more by impressive catches that have become the norm for the week.

The Arkansas team did outlast the Texas finalists, with Kazuki Kitajima and Bodie Drake claiming the championship for the Razorbacks with five bass weighing 17.37 pounds, anchored by two near 4-pounders.

“We chased shad the whole time and were fishing a depth range of 5-14 feet,” said Kitajima. “We concentrated on a short point with some foundations and rock that had a subtle break. Our key bait was a Berkley Power Finesse Worm in blue flake. We also caught a couple on a War Eagle jig, some on a deep crankbait, but caught most of our fish on a shakey head. To win this one means a lot.”

“We have a strong fishing club at the University, and this win is great for our school and the club,” said partner Drake. “It's been a great experience for both of us.”

The Arkansas team's total was just enough to hold off last year's winner Justin Rackley and new partner Andy Shafer, from Texas A&M. They had five bass totaling 16 pounds.

Rounding out the top five teams who advanced to the third and final day of the championship were: 3rd place – Texas Tech's Ryan Dupriest and Laramie Coggan with five fish weighing 11.98 pounds; 4th place – Texas A&M-Kingsville's Jerod Hawkes and Daniel Brock with 5 bass weighing 11.17 pounds; and 5th place – Baylor's Jay Holland and Chris Gass with two bass totaling 3.34 pounds.

The Arkansas team takes home a $14,000 scholarship check to their fishing club. Texas A&M was awarded $8,000, Texas Tech received $5,000, Texas A&M Kingsville took $3,000 and Baylor won $2,000.

The five, all fishing from tournament-provided Ranger boats equally equipped with Yamaha outboards, Garmin electronics and MotorGuide trolling motors, had advanced to the championship round by being the top five among all 194 anglers competed during the previous two days. The full field represented 23 states and 51 schools of all sizes and conferences.

Finishing in the top 10 for the tournament and also receiving scholarship cash prizes for their respective school fishing clubs are: 6th place – Faulkner University (Ala.), Kyle Tindol and Michael Eubanks, $1,000; 7th place – Northwestern State University (La.), Zack Gagnard and Paul Rini, $700; 8th place – Murray State University (Ky.), Dan Langton and Cory Carr, $600; 9th place – Stephen F. Austin (Texas), Ryan Watkins and Andrew Upshaw, $400; and 10th place – University of Alabama-Birmingham, Tim Waits and Braxton Setzer, $300.

Of the daily incentive awards, Texas Tech's Coggan received the daily Abu Garcia Big Bass $1,000 scholarship for his 4.29 pounder. Arkansas' Kitajima and Drake were awarded the Berkley Big Bag award receiving $1,500 in merchandise for today's heaviest total catch. For the heaviest bag of the entire tournament, the American Rodsmiths Big Bag award of $500 went to Baylor for Holland and Gass' 22.05-pound bag from yesterday.

Throughout the tournament the entire group of talented anglers smashed all previous NCBFC records for numbers of fish caught, heaviest limits and total weight. There were 622 bass caught, including 69 limits, totaling 1,455.36 pounds.

The tournament was filmed extensively throughout the week as part of the BoatU.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship television series that will air on Fox College Sports and affiliated networks beginning in October. Check local listings for air times.
View full field results

Record Big Bags and Big Bass Come to the Scales at the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship

September 18, 2008, Lewisville, Texas - A spectacular morning sunrise had the 2008 BoatU.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship (NCBFC) anglers thinking it was going to be another carbon copy day of what they had during their three practice days - calm and sunny. Instead, it wasn't long after that a high cloud cover and light but consistent breeze took over for most of the tournament hours.

Those with good topwater and shallow patterns were pleased with the change. Others who had been relying on bright skies to hold the fish tight in and around cover found themselves scratching their heads and searching for some new places. Overall, though, it was a great fishing day, and new BoatU.S. NCBFC records for single-day combined weights were set by the field of collegiate anglers. When all teams had weighed in, 37 were successful in catching their five-fish limits, setting up a showdown heading into Friday's second round, which will wrap up with only the top five teams moving on to compete in Saturday's final round.

On top after day one is the Virginia Tech team of Scott Wiley and Charlie Machek with their five-fish limit weighing 19.60 pounds. They also had the big bass of the day, a 7.98 pounder.

"We actually caught them better today than what our practice was," said Wiley. "But I'm confident we're doing something that nobody else is. It's a technique we use back home in Virginia. We don't expect much to change so we're confident about another good day tomorrow."

Wiley and Machek's total provided a separation of less than one-quarter ounce over second place finishers of the day, the Eastern Kentucky University team of Andrew Luxon and Richard Cobb. They had five bass weighing 19.42 pounds.

Rounding out the top five teams were: 3rd place, Southeast Missouri State's Taylor Gorton and Mike Rains with 18.28 pounds; 4th place, Tarleton State University's (Texas) John Anderson and Kent Andries with 16.05 pounds; and 5th place, University of Alabama - Birmingham's Tim Waits and Braxton Setzer with 15.15 pounds. Visit www.collegiatebasschampionship.com to view full field results.

Returning champion Texas A&M's Justin Rackley and his new partner, Andy Shafer, finished the day in 7th place with 14.98 pounds. "We had to fish differently today than we did during practice because of the lack of sun, but our daily weight stayed about the same," Rackley said.

The teams with the most success weren't sharing many secrets about what they did to catch their fish because the entire field of anglers will fish again on day two. Only the top five teams advance to Saturday. They fish from tournament-provided Ranger boats equally equipped with Yamaha outboards, Garmin electronics and MotorGuide trolling motors.

Of the incentive awards open to all participants, Wiley received the daily Abu Garcia Big Bass $1,000 scholarship for his 7.98 pound catch.

Friday's weigh-in and the final on Saturday both begin at 3 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Weigh-ins are held at Sneaky Pete's Marina and are open to the public.

The 2008 BoatU.S. NCBFC is sponsored by BoatU.S., BoatU.S. Angler, Ranger Boats, Cabela's, American Rodsmiths, Anglers' Legacy, Abu Garcia, Aviva Fishin' Buddy, Berkley, Costa Del Mar, EPIC Sports Video Cam, Falcon FTO tackle organizers, Fenwick, Frogg Toggs, Garmin, Gemini Sport Marketing, Lago Vista Lodge, Gene Larew Lures, MotorGuide, Power-Pole, Rapala's Fishing Frenzy, Sebile, Sperry Top-Sider, Stearns, TruckVault, Witz Sportcases, Yamaha, City of Lewisville, Sneaky Pete's Marina and Fox College Sports.

From left to right: Taryn Bishop, Tiffany Spencer, Whitney Cummins, Courtney Caruthers, Kat Cammack, Alicia Mohler

Don't Count the Ladies Out

Collegiate bass fishing is one of  the fatest growing colleigate sports today. In th past two years, fishing clubs across the country have doubled, as have teans competeing in this year's BoatUS National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship (NCBFC).

Another number that continues to grow: women anglers that will be competing in thte BoatUS NCBFC. With College fishing spreading like wildfire, and so many young women competing, this could be the first year for a women angler to take the championship title.

Here's a look at the six talented females competing this week on Lake Lewisville.

2008 BoatUS National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Nearing Record Draw of 60 Colleges

Tournament Takes Place September 18-20 and Airs This Fall on Fox College Sports and Fox Sports Net

ALEXANDRIA, VA, August 26, 2008 - From its modest beginning three years ago with 24 colleges participating, the 2008 BoatUS National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship is expected to kick off on Sept. 18 on Lake Lewisville, TX with a record 100 teams from nearly 60 colleges across the US. Those collegiate anglers that make it to Saturday's final round are expected to fish for almost 24 hours over the three days, with the coverage to air on the Fox College Sports and Fox Sports Net this fall. Over $35,000 in scholarship money is at stake for top-finishing schools.

"Since we began this event college fishing has grown on a daily basis," said BoatUS Angler Director Mike Pellerin, "and this Championship has become the largest competitive collegiate bass fishing event on television." The 22-week series starts in late September (check local listings).

Entry to the BoatUS Championship is open to full-time students at any school in the US with a recognized fishing club, and there is no entry fee for qualifying student athletes. Some schools have entered co-ed teams to compete and the students have complete control of the boat. "It's their strategies and skills on the line," says Pellerin, "And above all, this tournament is about emerging talent and the drive to compete."

While the third and final day of competitive fishing is done aboard fully rigged Ranger bass boats, the first and second days are fished from students' own vessels. "Some of the boats are borrowed from Grandpa, and some kids have struggled to save for their own. But unlike professional anglers with blue-chip sponsors, simply getting their rig to Lake Lewisville can be a challenge for some students," said Pellerin, whose BoatUS Angler membership program offers roadside help and on-the-water assistance for trailer boats.

Capt. Jay Nunnally of TowBoatUS Lake Lewisville will again provide on-the-water assistance to the collegiate anglers. "With a field this size, we're likely to give a few boats a tow back to the ramp for some on-the-spot repairs," said Nunnally.

TV fishing personality Wade Middleton is the tournament director and professional anglers Luke Clausen, Jeff Kriet and Kelly Jordon will be the on-air talent during the event, which is being produced by Careco Multimedia in conjunction with Fox College Sports. Go to CollegiateBassChampionship.com for more information.

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