College Classic Bracket: Round 1 on Chatuge

The top 4 teams from the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship divide up and head out to fish the Classic Bracket on Chatuge. One of these anglers will go on to compete in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.

Matt Roberts of Bethel starts close to home, fishing a popular brushpile that he and partner Zach Parker frequented this week.

Using a dropshot, Roberts works over a brushpile.

Bethel finished 2nd in the National Championship here on Chatuge this week.

A thick fog sets in up the hill a ways.

Each of the Classic Bracket contenders have been furnished a fully rigged Nitro Z7 to use here on Chatuge this week.

Roberts will spend today like every other day, looking down at his electronics.

Roberts stays focused, not even phased by the occasional surfacing carp that garners the attention of many anglers…and cameramen.

Time to move over to Bentley Manning of Tennessee Tech.

Swap it up.

Manning makes a cast.

Working a topwater shallow has produced several of the bigger bites for Tennessee Tech this week.

Let’s make a move.

There’s a lot on the minds of these 8 anglers. A lifelong dream is within reach.

Roll out.

Let’s move over to Robert Giarla, Manning’s partner on the Tennessee Tech team.

Working a topwater shallow.

Most of the anglers here have mixed it up this week, fishing some shallow and some deep.

Giarla tries to make to casts that other anglers don’t put the effort into.

He does this by working his way super shallow…

Maybe a little too shallow.

In pursuit.

One of Tennessee Tech’s primary baits this week, a popping frog.

Working the frog around shallow cover has produced some big bites.

Giarla gives the bait a good twitch to generate a little noise.

Giarla lays with the same area for quite a while, trying to hit everything from every angle.

Time to make a move.

There’s a lot more water per angler today since the field has been cut from 83 boats to only 8 anglers.

Rolling down the river.

Hope those clouds stay in the hills.

Zach Parker works a deep brushpile.

The bite has been light this week, Parker keeps an eye on his rod tip.

Parker drags his dropshot through a pile.

Parker faked us out here, just hung up.

Looking for a little something to drop on.

The clouds are starting to break up.

Brett Preuett of ULM sits in the middle of 10 acres of schooling fish.

A wad of spots come up schooling right beside my boat.

They catch Preuett’s eye.

Keeping his head on a swivel.

The fish come up schooling again.

Preuette makes a cast in their direction.

The fish continue to school, but ignore Preuett’s topwater.

A nice fish breaks the surface in the distance.

Preuette finally hooks up.

It looks like a small one.

Preuett boated one nice spot in the 3-pound range before I got to him…

…but unfortunately, he had several quality fish come unbuttoned. Though this one is a non-keeper, losing it just adds insult to injury.

The game of cat and mouse continues as Preuett kicks the trolling motor on high and heads after another school.

Preuett makes a cast.

These look like some good ones.

Yep, that’s a good one.

Preuett fires away.

This is a frustrating way to fish, but if the right school surface in striking range, things could get right in a hurry.

Preuett works his topwater along…

…then one explodes on it…

…to no avail.

Yep, this things does have hooks on it. Just checking.

Now let’s take a look at how the champ is doing.

Here’s the bait responsible for 9 of the 15 fish that won the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship.

Jake Whitaker continues to work the shallows that held the winning fish just a day ago.

Time to make a move.

Lay-downs such as this are sprinkled all around Chatuge and give a great vantage point for shallow cruising largemouth.

Jake skipped his frog masterfully under hundreds of bushes, docks and lay-downs.

In you go.

This popping frog is getting a workout.