GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — Collegiate anglers from all over the Southeast will travel to Alabama’s Lake Guntersville March 9-10 for the first event of the 2012 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, a Southern Super Regional. The College Series is B.A.S.S.’ team-style collegiate-level tournament circuit that offers one student/angler the chance to fish in bass fishing’s biggest tournament, the Bassmaster Classic. For that angler, the road to the Classic begins at the Super Regional level.
Guntersville has been regularly turning up 30-plus-pound 5-fish limits and will be in prime shape for collegiate anglers to catch the stringer of a lifetime. Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Director Hank Weldon says that college teams will have the chance to show what Guntersville is capable of.
“This could be our best event ever, weight-wise,” he said. “We’re expecting about 150 boats from more than 30 schools, and no one is going to be disappointed with the fishing.”
Auburn angler Jordan Lee and partner Shane Powell may be the most familiar with the lake. Just last weekend Lee scored a win on the big “G.”
“Winning this past weekend is definitely a good thing; it gives me a good idea of what the fish are doing,” Lee said. “This time of the year, it’s critical to be on the water a lot. Following the fish and being able to predict where they are is crucial. I have a few key stretches that should hold up if the weather stays stable.”
Schools will be vying for more than $7,000 in cash and prizes, and those finishing in the top 50 percent of the field will be automatically eligible to send two anglers to the National Championship. There, the Top 4 teams will advance to the Bassmaster Classic bracket for a head-to-head style elimination that will determine who earns a berth in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake in Tulsa, Okla., Feb. 22-24. Just this past month, Andrew Upshaw, the 2011 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series champion, competed on the Red River in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic and earned a 31st-place finish.
The registration deadline for competing teams is Thursday, March 8, at 4 p.m.
Be sure to check Bassmaster.com/college for live streaming weigh-ins, photo galleries, standings and articles pertaining to the event.