Nation: Arkansas wins team title; Ray takes lead

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. — Arkansas scored a big win as its team overcame a 30-pound deficit to win the state title on Lake Guntersville at the Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional presented by Magellan Outdoors.

Arkansas’ 20 anglers collectively caught 363 pounds, 4 ounces to beat Day 1 leader Indiana by a margin of 33 pounds. The Hoosiers took second place with 330 pounds, 10 ounces. Wisconsin was third with 313-12 and Alabama weighed 304-6 for fourth place. Louisiana was fifth with 290-2.

“We fished individually to maintain the spirit of the competition but came together as a team when someone needed attention,” said Jim Alexander, Arkansas B.A.S.S. Nation president.

“We kept the competition between us and that made us fish stronger as a team,” added Doug Thompson, currently third place overall in the tournament.

When the blanks needed filling in for someone whose strategy needed a boost the team rallied behind the angler.

Arkansas won a Triton 189 TrX, trailer and accessories with a Yamaha VF150LA. Total package value is $37,293.

Nineteen states are competing in the regional tournament. On Day 3 the top 38 anglers and three highest-ranking boaters and non-boaters from each state compete on Guntersville.

Josh Ray took the overall boater lead with the biggest catch thus far in the tournament. Ray’s 5 bass weighed 23 pounds, 3 ounces, to put him in the lead by about 2 pounds.

“I caught all of them in about an hour and then left the spot,” said Ray, of Alexander, Ark. “I’m trying to save some for tomorrow.”

On Day 1 Ray drew a late start time that cut into his fishing time. He managed a mediocre catch weighing 13 pounds, 7 ounces, or about 9 pounds out of the lead. About the time Ray caught the 5-bass limit he needed to return to make the appointed weigh-in time.

Today his time slot flipped and that allowed him to arrive sooner in his fishing area. He caught another limit in about an hour.

“I’m trying to get away from the boat pressure,” he admitted. “I have other areas but I haven’t needed to use those.”

“I’m not at all worried about fishing pressure,” he continued. “It’s a long way from the weigh-in and then anybody there has to catch them, just like me.”

Ray is swimming a leadhead jig on a tapering bottom near the river channel. That’s a common bass fishing strategy here following the spawning cycle of largemouth. The bass are moving from shallow to deep water, where they will school along the Tennessee River over summer.

Ray is tapping into a migration route that funnels the bass along his chosen fishing area. While Ray disclosed the lure he understandably withheld other details of the presentation and specifics of the area.

To be determined is the overall winner and qualifiers to bass fishing’s world championship. That event is the Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan Outdoors. The top boater and non-boater from each state advances to bass club fishing’s championship competition.

The Livingston Lure Leader Award was presented to Ray. He earned the $250 bonus by leading the tournament on Day 2. Justin Harris, the leading non-boater also received a Livingston Lures merchandise package.

Harris, of McPherson, Kan., continues leading the non-boater division with 23 pounds, 11 ounces.

Big bass of the day honors go to Ted Heitschmidt of Tomahawk, Wis. He caught a largemouth weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces.

The tournament begins at 6 a.m. CDT with boats returning in staggered flight times beginning at 2:15 p.m. Tournament launch and weigh-in is Guntersville City Harbor.