College: San Jose heads up the West

Adam McAndrews of San Jose State University has led tournaments before. And it’s always downhill from there.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — Adam McAndrews of San Jose State University has led tournaments before.

And it’s always downhill from there.
“I never do well the second day after leading,” said McAndrews. “I kind of wish I was in fourth place today!”

McAndrews is looking to get that Day 2 monkey off his back here at Clear Lake at the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Western Regional.

He and his teammate, Roberto Munoz, lead the field of 30 boats with 25 pounds, 1 ounce.

In second place, nearly 2 pounds back, is the New Mexico State University team of Timothy Bailey and Jesse Scarafiotti.

McAndrews may not be brimming over with confidence about his Day 2 performances, but he and Munoz are still in a solid spot for the win.

“We hit about six spots today,” said McAndrews, who has plenty of experience here on Clear Lake, which recently earned the No. 2 spot on the 2014 Bassmaster 100 Best Bass Lakes list.

“I went with places I know,” said McAndrews, “and we never found anything consistent. We’re just junk fishing. We try everything in one spot and then move to the next.”

Munoz noted that the pair culled two or three times on Day 1. “We didn’t get that many bites, but we got good ones, including a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass.”

That bass was second in line for daily Carhartt Big Bass honors. The biggest bass of the day, a 6-7, belonged to the second-place New Mexico State team of Bailey and Scarafiotti.

Scarafiotti has a penchant for big bass. He currently holds the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series record for the biggest bass — an 11-11 lunker he caught on Texas’ Amistad Reservoir in 2013.

“I’m surprised a 6-7 was the biggest for today,” said Scarafiotti. “I don’t think even my 11-11 record will hold for too much longer. It might even be broken here on Clear Lake.”

It could happen, with a slight weather change tomorrow. It is expected to be a bit cooler and a little windier, a combination that could change the bite for the competitors in the Western Regional.

And yet, almost every team — including the leaders — said they expect to do the same thing on Day 2 that they did on Day 1. Bass were plentiful, most of the anglers said, and the ones who didn’t bring big sacks blamed lost fish.

“We know they’re there; we’ve just got to get them,” said Zach MacDonald of Oregon State University. MacDonald was on the winning team at the 2013 Western Regional, when he broke a record for heaviest weight in a College B.A.S.S. event.

Each team is looking to finish in the Top 10 so they’ll qualify for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship, July 31 to Aug. 2, on Georgia’s Chatuge Reservoir.

Currently, Scarafiotti and Bailey of New Mexico State are in the lead for the Carhartt Big Bass award of $500 for their 6-7 today. And McAndrews and Munoz of San Jose State are in the lead for the Bass Pro Nitro Big Bag of the tournament, which is worth $250. Another award will go to the tournament winner on Day 2, the Livingston Lures Leader Award, which is worth $500 in Livingston products to both anglers on the team.

Tune in to Bassmaster.com for coverage of the final day of the event. The takeoff is at 6 a.m. PT tomorrow at Konocti Vista Casino & Resort, and the final weigh-in is at 2 p.m. PT.