Nation: Connecticut River registration

The tournament crew gets set for registration at the Holiday Inn Express in Hartford, Conn.

Meanwhile, the Connecticut team gets set up for a little relaxation in the lounge.

They get just a few minutes to relax …

… after the practice they’ve put in and before they go through the registration line.

Alan Pierce gets the paperwork ready for each team …

… while Emily Hand guards the trophy with her life.

Rhode Island, the host team for this event, is the first state to go through the line.

Waiting in the lobby is the Spain team.

Rhode Islanders Michael Abernathy and Lewis Mendall practice their poses before their team photo is taken.

Selfie time!

The wives of the Spanish team take group photos …

… and the Spaniards bring in Connecticut angler Frank Giner for their pic.

Giner serves as their translator while the team is here.

Before the briefing, Giner read the entirety of the rules to the team in Spanish.

After the teams register, they get in line for their free goodies …

… and sign up for raffle tickets to win $100 to spend at Thayer’s Marine.

B.A.S.S. Nation hats are up for grabs, too, …

… as are B.A.S.S. Nation shirts.

The team from Tackle Supply Depot is handing out shirts to competitors, too. One of the Eastern Divisional qualifiers, David Dziob, owns the tackle store.

“This is my lucky 20-dollar bill,” said Robert Pepe. “It means I’m going to win all these raffles and that the Connecticut team is going to win the tournament!”

Jim Jeffries of Vermont shows off his crutches — and his broken leg — from a spill he took in the boat eight weeks ago. He’s still got another eight weeks or so in the cast.

It looks like George Yund is sleeping, and maybe he is catching a few winks between typing letters on his phone. But he was texting his wife after a long day on the water. “It’s the first time I’ve even gotten to say anything to her all day!”