Four to compete in national semi-final

After the National Championship was decided on Saturday, the Top 4 finishing teams were then seated in a bracketed style format pitting individuals into head-to-head matchups.

STEVENS POINT, Wis.— After the National Championship was decided on Saturday, the Top 4 finishing teams were then seated in a bracketed style format pitting individuals into head-to-head matchups.

The eight anglers vying for a Bassmaster Classic berth were Josh Bensema from Texas A&M University versus Andrew Helms of University of North Carolina-Charlotte (UNC Charlotte), Texas A&M’s Matthew McArdle versus Jake Whitaker from UNC Charlotte, Trevor Lo of University of Minnesota versus Nicholls State University’s Allyson Marcel and Chris Burgan of Minnesota versus Tyler Rivet from Nicholls State.

 

Anglers set their sights on a new body of water and shifted focus from Lake DuBay to the bracket waters of the Wisconsin River Flowage. Overall anglers believe that the Flowage wasn’t as tough as DuBay and it was evident as five of the eight anglers weighed in three-fish limits.

Round 1 bracket and results:

 

Josh Bensema (Texas A&M), 5-7 vs. Andrew Helms (UNC Charlotte), 4-15

 

This was the closest matchup of the first round as both anglers brought three-fish limits to the scales. This matchup put one part of the 2014 National Championship team against the newly crowned Champions. Bensema, the 2015 Champion, was obviously flustered because he believed that three lost fish earlier in the day would have surely cost him and he would be eliminated.

 

“My day started great and I had a limit by 8:30 a.m.,” Bensema said. “I went looking for big fish after I had an early limit and I found them, but I lost every big fish I hooked. I lost three big fish and I figured with as poorly as I fished I wouldn’t move on.”

 

Bensema, this years National Champion of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, survived and will move on to face Tyler Rivet from Nicholls State University.

 

Tyler Rivet (Nicholls State), 4-14 vs. Chris Burgan (Minnesota), 1-7

 

Rivet had the first limit of the day as the Louisiana angler capitalized on a morning bite that carried him into Monday’s semi-finals. Meanwhile, Burgan searched for largemouth and after no success switched it up and targeted smallmouth, boating one keeper to weigh-in.

 

“I know if I go to the spot that I caught a limit on this morning I could possibly capitalize,” Rivet said. “Bensema said he was losing big fish so I’m definitely going to need better quality if I want to contend. Both of my best spots are morning areas so I need to choose wisely on where I go first.”

 

“All day I kept thinking about getting one step closer to the Bassmaster Classic,” he said. “I’ll need to change up my game plan on Monday otherwise I won’t have a chance at going.”

 

Jake Whitaker (UNC Charlotte), 6-13 vs. Matthew McArdle (Texas A&M), 3-15

 

This matchup pitted part of the 2014 National Championship against this years Championship winners. Whitaker, after getting knocked out in the first round last year, advances after weighing a limit worth 6 pounds, 13 ounces. McArdle lost a key fish with just over an hour left in his day and he believes that really hurt his shot to advance because he came to the scales with one shy of the tournament limit.

 

“I never really practiced the lake, but rather just drove around and looked,” Whitaker said. “I caught a bunch of fish today, but I didn’t have my limit until just after 10 a.m. I made a small adjustment and started to catch better quality fish later in the afternoon. I’m confident in my game plan heading into Monday’s semi-final.”

 

McArdle was eliminated, but will be a college fishing ambassador, as he will bare the name of 2015 National Champion for the entire year. Whitaker will now advance to Monday’s semi-final where he will face Trevor Lo of Minnesota.

 

Trevor Lo (Minnesota), 7-1 vs. Allyson Marcel (Nicholls State), 1-11

 

Lo brought one of the five limits to the scales and managed to eliminate the first female angler to make the Classic Bracket. Marcel mustered up one keeper fish on Sunday and was eliminated, but her impact on the sport is already noted as she will now be a role model for other female anglers aspiring to compete at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series level.

 

Bolstering Lo’s bag was a hefty 3-pound, 2-ounce smallmouth, which also garnered the Carhartt Big Bass for the Classic Bracket.

 

“Today was basically my first day of practice on this lake for me,” Lo said. “I checked out Google Earth on Saturday night and tried to find areas that looked like it could hold fish and then develop a pattern throughout the day.”

 

“It’s humbling to know that all the anglers who competed this week were the best in the nation,” he said. “Words can’t explain how I feel right now and there are so many emotions going through my mind.”

 

Trevor Lo will matchup with Jake Whitaker for Monday’s semi-final round.

 

Anglers will take off from Bukolt Park at 6 a.m. on Monday morning. The final four will head out and two will advance after Monday’s competition. Weigh-in will begin around 2:15 p.m. at Bukolt Park.

 

The Carhartt Big Bass award will be given to the individual angler who weighs the biggest bass during the Classic Bracket competition. For their efforts, a $500 Carhartt gift card will be awarded. Trevor Lo’s 3-2 smallmouth holds that mark heading into Monday’s competition.