Day 1 takeoff at Cherokee Lake

Day 1 starts before the sun rises as 160 college teams file into the Cherokee Lake Dam launch ramp.

The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Eastern Regional broke its previous attendance record, which was 105 at Lake Norman in 2015.

Connor Thompson of Bryan College gets the boat ready as they wait in line to launch.

The B.A.S.S. tournament officials had a plan in place to park 160 trucks and boats.

The giant parking lot that the Elite Series anglers used in February is now much smaller because of the higher water levels.

A team approaches the shore as one partner jumps off to grab something on land.

Well what’s up Robbie Moore? No, it’s not my long lost brother because of our similar names…but he is a former regional champion. He and his partner took the 2014 East Regional on Watts Bar.

One of the Campbellsville University teams launches.

Meanwhile Auburn University is already beached and hanging out with other teams.

Ty Cox (right) gets Mississippi State’s weight predictions for this event. To see what they said, just add bass_nation on snapchat to follow a different college teams day throughout this event.

The 160 boats or so launch and await Hank Weldon’s call for the takeoff. It was slated for 6:30 a.m. ET.

But before the whistle blows, anglers take a moment to join in an invocation prayer prior to takeoff.

And then the national anthem is conducted.

John Garrett of Bethel University is fishing with Brian Pahl again this year. They finished 2nd in the National Championship and made the Classic Bracket. Garrett went on to win and represents the College Series for 2017 on the Opens trail.

Weldon gives the word and teams begin heading out by their randomized boat numbers they received at Wednesday’s meeting.

Sam Carris and John Berry of Tennessee Tech are one of the many Tennessee schools here this week.

The later boats gather in the takeoff creek and wait their turn.

Sam Glenn of UNC Charlotte calls out his boat number so tournament officials toss the right boat key fob to them.

Virginia Tech rolls through the line.

Ethan Flack of Alabama seems to be fishing alone this week.

Meanwhile Kentucky is represented with Hunter French and Andrew Day head out.

Each team gets a fob as they go through the line, which makes check-in later even easier.

Campbellsville University coach Tommy Hall talks with Hank Weldon.

Aaron Sollenburger eye balls the key fob and catches it.

Teams formed a line as they came through takeoff.

Matt Pastino (left) and Jerris Bush of East Carolina come through the line.

Sophomores Zeke Gossett (left) and Hayden Bartee of Jefferson State come through the line.

Jordan Wise (left) and Chris Phinney of East Carolina give a thumbs up as they go through. This is possibly their last college event fishing together, unless they make the National Championship like they did last year.

If you’re going to be something…be a high roller.

The biggest Eastern Regional field should have a good time on Cherokee as both largemouth and smallmouth should be brought to the scales this week as fish are as shallow as a foot deep and deeper than 60 feet in places.