Bethel’s poker face

Bethel University’s Dalton Wilson and Randall Morris weren't exactly dealt the winning hand at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Wild Card on Pickwick Lake.

FLORENCE, Ala. — Bethel University’s Dalton Wilson and Randall Morris weren’t exactly dealt the winning hand at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Wild Card on Pickwick Lake. Their game-winning flush actually resulted from a thrilling last-minute draw.

Wilson and Morris won the Wild Card with a 2-day total of 48-4. After bringing in 27-5 on Day 1 to take the lead, they slammed the door on the competition with 20-15 on Day 2, not only winning the event but also qualifying for the 2014 Carhartt College Series National Championship.

“We had one big one at 10:30 and only two fish with about 15 minutes to go,” said Wilson. “We were running in and decided to make one more stop on a school we haven’t been able to get on all week.”

That stop paid off big. With only a few minutes to fish before they were due back at the docks, Wilson and Morris hopped up and started firing away.

“He (Morris) lost one immediately,” said Wilson. “I went in and caught a good one, threw it in the livewell, we both casted out and doubled. I netted mine and he boat flipped his and then we were gone.”

The duo relied heavily on a Ben Parker Signature Series spoon. It’s basically an oversized flutter spoon around 8 inches long. Wilson and Morris would fire the bait out, let it sink to the bottom then snatch it vigorously back up into the water column before letting it fall again.

“Those were the only 5 keepers we caught all day,” said Wilson. “That’s the thing with that spoon, it’s tough to catch one but when you do, it’s the kind you need.”

As an added caveat, they were awarded bonus money in the form of the Livingston Lures Leader Award.

Wilson and Morris also received Bass Pro/Nitro Big Bag honors for their Day 1 bag of 27-5.

The team that started the day in second also finished there. Bethel University’s Cody Ross and Dewey Swims brought a 2-day total of 42-14 to the scales to finish 5 pounds and 6 ounces behind their teammates. 

Dewey Swims captured Carhartt Big Bass honors with his 7-10 tank from Day 2. 

Justin Atkins and Joseph Marty of Mississippi State University finished the event in 3rd place with a two-day total of 42-10. For a complete list of the standings, click here.

In all, 17 of the top 20 teams qualified for the Carhartt College Series National Championship. There were a total of 3 teams in the top 20 who had previously qualified for the National Championship, extending the berths back to 20th place.

The National Championship on Chatuge Reservoir is the next stop along the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series. That event will be held in Young Harris, Ga., July 31st through August 2nd.

Check your local listings for the airing of this week’s Wild Card on ESPNU.