Day 1 of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Central Regional presented by Bass Pro Shops came to a close as two teams shared the lead in the fishing tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Tyler Craig and Spencer Lambert of the University of Louisiana-Monroe and Dillon Harrell and Dustin Moreno of Sam Houston State both bolstered 24 pounds, 8 ounces to share the lead and hold a 1-12 margin over 3rd place.
The weather wasn’t what anglers expected in Texas with the unseasonably warm temperatures up to this point in the year. Winds stayed at a constant 10 mph clip and temperatures were in the low 40’s at takeoff. A weather front passed through the Sam Rayburn area late Wednesday night and high winds came with it, they were toned back for Day 1 of competition, but anglers still needed to adjust based on the post-frontal blue-bird sky day.
A cool-down on Day 1 fired up the fish it seems as the famed Sam Rayburn Reservoir didn’t disappoint as nine teams wielded 20+ pound limits to start off the 2017 Bassmaster College Series season. The fishing started hot for Louisiana-Monroe as they caught their weight by 8 a.m. and left to save it for the rest of the tournament.
“I found these fish two weeks ago and my first five casts of 2017 were all 3-pounders,” said Craig. “Bigger fish have certainly reloaded there since then.”
Catching a hefty bag that early in the day allowed Craig and Lambert to practice and search for more areas. The scary thing is the teammates didn’t hit their next four or five spots that were prosperous in practice so they believe another quality five-fish limit is possible on Day 2.
“It seems to be strictly a morning spot,” Lambert says. “As soon as the sun comes up, they start biting.”
Meanwhile, Harrell and Moreno of Sam Houston State utilized knowledge of Sam Rayburn and a strong fishing connection to jump into the lead after Day 1. The teammates are also cousins and have fished together since birth. When it comes to a tournament partner and strategy, Harrell thinks it’s hard to beat Moreno.
“The areas we had fish located were barren today,” Moreno said. “Being here so much helped us figure out where they went and how they reacted to the weather.”
Moreno and Harrell put all their eggs into one basket and made a gutsy call to stick it out in one or two areas before leaving in the afternoon.
“These fish have been moving a lot lately because of the weather this area has gotten,” Harrell said. “We swung for the fences and relied on one or two spots that had key fish for us.”
They also tried to manage their fish as they practiced on some newer areas and found places they could catch quantity if need be.
Dawson Cranford and Charles Norris of Louisiana-Lafayette ended the day in 3rd place with 22-12. Meanwhile, Reed Foster and Colt Benedict of Dallas Baptist University are sitting in 4th with 22-7 in large part because of their 8-14 big fish that anchored their bag. Rounding out the Top 5 is Hunter Mills and Jordan Hartman of Murray State University with 21-14.
The entire 115-boat field will compete on Day 2, but after Friday’s weigh-in the Top 20 teams will advance to the final day of the regional on Saturday. Hunter Freeman and Thomas Solieau of Louisiana-Monroe are on the Top 20 bubble with 15-15.
Takeoff’s will happen at Cassell Boykin Park at 7 a.m. CT and weigh-ins will be at the park as well starting at 3:15 p.m.