Round 2 on Rayburn - Bassmaster

I started Day 2 of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Central Regional on Sam Rayburn Reservoir with one of the leading teams after Thursday’s weigh-in.

I found Louisiana-Monroe’s duo of Tyler Craig and Spencer Lambert and they hooked up just minutes later.

I got on the water only 45 minutes after they left the dock, but they already had a limit and had culled twice already.

This was another keeper and possibly another cull for the teammates.

The fish jumps at the boat, but Craig catches it in the net as Lambert keeps plenty of tension on the fish.

By 8 a.m. on Day 1 the ULM teammates busted 24 pounds of fish, but this morning the giant fish weren’t biting.

Instead, Craig and Lambert had a limit of solid fish, bolstered by a 4 pounder. They were in the 13 to 14-pound range from what they told me.

Lambert holds up the two smallest fish so Craig could eyeball which fish was next to go.

Craig and Lambert caught 24-8 on Day 1 and were tied with Sam Houston State’s Dillon Harrell and Dustin Moreno.

ULM said its starting spot was an early morning deal and they were going to hit it as thoroughly as they could because there is a huge Texas Team Trail also fishing Rayburn on Saturday.

They basically knew they made the Top 20 cut for Saturday after boating the early 13 to 14-pound limit. But with 300+ boats competing tomorrow in the other tournament, they tried to manage their fish as good as possible stay in striking distance if not holding down the lead after Friday.

Stetson Overton and Cason Kelley of Tarleton State watched the fast and furious fish catching this morning and they also added a couple fish to their livewell.

Overton said they caught a 6 to 7 pounder, which will certainly help their chances at jumping into the Top 20. They were in 41st with 13-10 after Day 1.

Overton is hoping to get back to the National Championship. He competed in the 2016 Championship on Green River Lake.

Craig and Lambert snuck down a small ditch and kept fishing, looking for an upgrade.

After spending two hours in their starting area they decided to hit spot number two so they took off.

I left as well and found the 5th place team from Murray State. They were hooked up when I arrived.

Hunter Mills had a fish on the line as I approached. This team from Kentucky busted 21-14 on Day 1.

Mills swung in the small fish and realized it wouldn’t help their limit.

So he unhooked it and released it.

This Murray State team can’t make the National Championship based on a good performance this week because their school is slated to compete in the Eastern Regional, which is in May. They are competing this week for School of the Year points, but while they are here they are trying to get a win for bragging rights.

Jordan Hartman boated a small fish from the back of the boat.

But it didn’t help the cause so he released it. They were fishing Sam Rayburn like they would fish their home lake of Kentucky lake.

They fished the baits used on ledges and off-shore spots.

They also heaved crankbaits towards the offshore schools of fish.

They also boated white bass in between fish catches.

Mills boated a fish immediately after catching the white bass.

Mills and Hartman compared fish and determined which one needed to be culled. They didn’t have a big limit, but they would eventually upgrade after a spot change.

Two college teams fished the point just down from this team.

Mills and Hartman decided to change areas for a little while…

So they headed out.

I found the team of Dalton Warrington and Kooper Marsh of Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Marsh set the hook from the back of the boat into what he thought was a good fish.

But instead it was a “tree-pounder.”

The other team fishing near the point caught a small fish.

It wasn’t a keeper at all, but it was par for the course as Day 2 was looking rough.

Dakota Sparks and Levi Sharp of Louisiana State University (LSU) drives by.

Warrington casts a Carolina Rig out to some Sam Rayburn structure.

Chris Bradley and Andy Thurston of Southwestern Oklahoma State catch a fish within sight of their teammates.

They were battling mechanical issues, but this fish had them turned in a positive direction.

It was a solid fish for the teammates.

With a 300+ boat tournament scheduled for Saturday at Sam Rayburn, the Top 20 College teams will try to battle it out for National Championship spots.