Day One on the Arkansas River

The team from Radford University, Justin Witten and Travis Cox, started the day near the launch area on the Arkansas River.

Ryan Dunn and Gage Elder are fishing for Southern Illinois University.

Dunn and Gage started the morning fishing near the Murray Lock and Dam.

Justin Witten and Travis Cox made an early move to a rock jetty on the main river channel.

Southern Louisiana University is represented by Jonathan Byrd and Mason Taylor.

The sun begins to rise on the Arkansas River on Day One of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship.

Arizona State’s Mark Walker is one of only four anglers in the field fishing without a partner.

The team from the University of Arkansas, Mook Miller and Kyle Billingsley.

Miller and Billingsley were using their local knowledge to run several fishing spots on the Arkansas River. 

The Arkansas State Capitol Building looms over teams fishing near downtown Little Rock. 

Western Illinois teammates fire casts on Day One. 

The Western Illinois team is comprised of Travis Wilson and Brian Lafferty.

Competitors on the Arkansas River began Day One long before commuters began making their way into Little Rock.

The team from the University of Tennessee, David Lambert and Jordan Burdette. 

Trent Newman makes a cast, as he and his partner Jacob Sepeda go to work on Day One. The team is representing Dallas Baptist University.

The team from Texas Tech, Flynn Chapman and Robert Hawthorne.

Chapman and Hawthorne were fishing a series of rock jetties along the main river channel.

Kyle Gates and Daniel Butler make synchronized casts. The team is from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

Drew Comeaux pilots the boat for Louisiana State University.

The team from Clemson University makes a move early on Day One. The team is comprised of William Shipes and Alan Horwatt.

The team from Bethel University was catching fish early on Day One. 

Dewey Swims swings a fish, while Cody Ross mans a net that wasn’t needed.

Swims carefully measures the fish.

The fish was short and thrown back into the Arkansas River.

The team from Louisiana State University, comprised of Drew Comeaux and Jordan Bloodsworth, concentrates on the task at hand.

Bloodsworth fires another cast.

Clemson’s William Shipes sweeps his rod to bury the hooks into a fish.

The fish jumps near the bow of the boat.

Alan Horwatt reaches for the bass.

Shipes removes the hooks from the fish, while Horwatt gets back to work.

The team from Young Harris College fishes near one of the many bridges on the Arkansas River.

The team from Young Harris College is Brad Rutherford and Chandler White.  

Bryan Billeadeau makes an early morning cast, alongside his partner Michaela Anderson. The team represents University of St. Thomas.

Michaela Anderson is the only female participant in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship.

Anderson powers her team’s boat to the next fishing location.

Henderson State University teammates, Matt Harper and Will Reeder.

The team from North Carolina State, Josh Hooks and Stephen Lasher, had an early limit of fish.

With temperatures expected to reach 100 degrees, Hooks was drinking plenty of cold water.

Lasher connects with a fish and Hooks moves to grab the net.

Both teammates do their jobs and the fish is in the boat.

Lasher moves to the front of the boat to measure the fish.

Hooks looks on closely as the fish is carefully measured.

The fish didn’t reach the minimum length requirement, and Lasher releases it into the Arkansas River.