Catamounts claim college regional

Austin Neary and Alex Frazier of Western Carolina University sacked 42 pounds, 6 ounces of Lake Norman bass to win the Carhartt College Eastern Regional.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three patterns helped a Western Carolina University team prevail despite adverse weather conditions and a competitive field in the 2015 Carhartt College Eastern Regional.

Austin Neary and Alex Frazier targeted spawning fish while also fishing nearby docks and rocks with dropshots and jerkbaits to bring in a three-day total of 42 pounds, 6 ounces to take the Eastern Regional title.

“All of our areas set up for all three patterns,” Neary said. “It would be like a windy marina, so we could drop shot and jerkbait and then catch spawners off beds.”

As practice for the Eastern Regional came to a close, fish flooded the banks in an attempt to find a mate and make a bed to spawn. Day 1 saw partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures and the spawn and dock bite were on.

Day 2 brought a nasty cold front to the area and the jerkbait bite picked up with a few spawners still being picked off.

The final day, the temperatures dropped to the 30s and it took all three patterns for Western Carolina to pull off the win.

After tournament manager Hank Weldon noted the excitement that Neary exhibited when coming to the stage and mentioned Frazier must be the calmer of the two, Frazier stated, “I could probably run through a brick wall right now.”

The excitement was evident from both Neary and Frazier as the two took the Eastern Regional title in Frazier’s first at bat in what would have been Neary’s final college event — had they not qualified for the national championship.

“Financially, I had already decided I wouldn’t be able to make it to the Wild Card, so this was it for me,” said Neary.

Brother and sister Chelsey and Kristopher Queen of Bethel University finished second in the event, bringing in 40-11 over the course of three days.

“I’m excited we’re going to the national championship,” Chelsey said. “I hate we lost out to these guys and I want to congratulate them, but I guarantee you nobody had more fun than we did out on the water.”

The Queens are the first brother-sister team to ever qualify for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship.

Finishing third and also qualifying for the national championship were Appalachian State University's Kelly Johnson and Jeremy Gilley, who brought in 39-14 for three days. Johnson and Gilley also took home the Livingston Lures Leader Award for leading the tournament after weighing in on Day 2.

The top 16 teams from the Eastern Regional also move on to the national championship to be held later this summer on a body of water to be announced within the next few weeks.

Cole Blythe’s 6-10 big bass from Day 1 earned UNC Charlotte the Carhartt Big Bass honors for the event.

Blythe and teammate John Auten also won the Bass Pro Nitro Big Bag Award of the event, with their Day 1 single-day weight of 16-12.