![<p>
The clouds parted early as dawn broke on the opening day of the Carhartt College Bass East Super Regional at Smith Mountain Lake.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2693_0.jpg)
![<p>
Anglers salute the flag during the Star-Spangled Banner.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2701.jpg)
![<p>
Cole Blythe and Andrew Jackson of Virginia Tech get last-minute instructions from tournament director Hank Weldon prior to Fridayâs take-off.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2707.jpg)
![<p>
Virginia Tech Hokies Evan Shearer and Michael Sadowski hit Smith Mountain Lake in their camouflage aluminum boat.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2711.jpg)
![<p>
Mack Walters and Josh Cameron traveled all the way from Starkville, Miss., to represent Mississippi State University in the East Super Regional.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2720.jpg)
![<p>
These collegiate anglers started fishing on a small island in the middle section of the lake.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2732.jpg)
![<p>
Jimmy Thorne and Sarah Faison of Christopher Newton University prepare to take off for a new fishing spot on Friday morning.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2737.jpg)
![<p>
The morning started cool but gradually warmed throughout the day.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2752.jpg)
![<p>
Many anglers fished around main lake points, especially early in the day before the sun enabled them to fish for spawning bass on beds.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2758.jpg)
![<p>
Evan Shearer and Michael Sadowski worked a main lake pointâs clay bank early on Day One.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2761.jpg)
![<p>
Shearer and Sadowskiâs worked spinnerbaits along wood on the point.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2790.jpg)
![<p>
Shearer hooks up and Sadowski readies the net.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2795_0.jpg)
![<p>
Sadowski successfully nets the largemouth for the teamâs second keeper of the morning.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2802.jpg)
![<p>
Shearer was fishing his second bass tournament. He fished from a kayak in his first tournament.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2810.jpg)
![<p>
Shearer was all smiles during his BassCam interview with Rob Russow.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2815.jpg)
![<p>
You donât have to have a deluxe fiberglass rig to catch bass, but without a fixed livewell, you will have keep your fish alive in a modified cooler.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2819.jpg)
![<p>
Nick Depkiewicz and Michael Freas started on a point next to deep water while fishing from their wrapped Virginia Tech Hokies boat.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2825_0.jpg)
![<p>
Mark Condron uses his trolling motor bracket to rise a few more inches above the water to look for bedding bass on Friday morning.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2853_0.jpg)
![<p>
David Bryant looks for spawners from the back of the boat.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2857.jpg)
![<p>
They were here during practice, so they have to be around here somewhere.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2864.jpg)
![<p>
Virginia Techâs Patrick Snellings flings a giant swimbait toward a point while teammate Jody White works his swimbait back to the boat.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2869.jpg)
![<p>
Long, heavy rods come in handy when throwing huge swimbaits.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2877.jpg)
![<p>
On a college studentâs budget, you do everything you can to retrieve an expensive swimbait when it lands in a lakeside tree.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2907.jpg)
![<p>
Jody Whiteâs line shoots off the reel as his big swimbait goes flying.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2919.jpg)
![<p>
s Cox and Justin Witten, the Day One leaders from Radford University, work over a point.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2969.jpg)
![<p>
Cox and Witten take off to try to catch a bedding smallmouth they found during practice.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2975.jpg)
![<p>
After trying multiple lures, Justin Witten threads a chartreuse Zoom Fluke on his hook to throw it toward a chunky smallmouth on a spawning bed.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2990.jpg)
![<p>
After more than 30 minutes of effort, Witten finally hooks into the bronzeback.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_2997.jpg)
![<p>
Cox drops his rod and goes for the net while Witten draws the big brownie closer to the boat.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3002.jpg)
![<p>
Itâs getting closer.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3011.jpg)
![<p>
And now it runs back to the other side of the boat.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3013.jpg)
![<p>
Finally, Cox eases the net under the smallmouth.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3017.jpg)
![<p>
Thatâs the kind of fish that will help the cause.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3019_0.jpg)
![<p>
Witten unhooks the bubblegum Fluke from the smallmouthâs lip.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3020.jpg)
![<p>
This fish helped Witten and Cox seize the Day One lead.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3024.jpg)
![<p>
Radfordâs Brett Meyn adjusts his lure while teammate Cole Campbell works a spinnerbait along the shoreline.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3054.jpg)
![<p>
Brett Meyn puts another keeper in the boat, but will it help?</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3060.jpg)
![<p>
Meyn waits for his partner to find the culling beam.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3066_0.jpg)
![<p>
Meyn studies hard to determine the bigger fish.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3072.jpg)
![<p>
In the end, this fish didnât help their cause.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3085.jpg)
![<p>
Zach Meadows and Josh Wilson of Radford head for the next fishing spot.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3088.jpg)
![Edward Rude and Corey Straight from West Virginia University work through the back of a small pocket.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3110.jpg)
![<p>
Rude points out a cruising bass to Straight.</p>](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_3116.jpg)
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Follow your favorite college team on Day One of the 2012 Carhartt College Series East Super Regional.