The Frenette brothers load up their back compartment with ice on what was predicted to be a sweltering day.
Photo: Rob Russow
Boats gather at the Lake Dardanelle State Park for the 2011 Mercury College Bass West Super Regional.
Photo: Rob Russow
Trevor Parks and Chase Edmiston wait as the first boat to leave the dock on Day One.
Photo: Rob Russow
Anglers stand along the line-up for boat check early on Thursday.
Photo: Rob Russow
In preparation for a hot and sunny day, anglers applied liberal amounts of sunscreen.
Photo: Rob Russow
The mayfly hatch was going strong at the take-off for Day One.
Photo: Rob Russow
The first boat takes off onto Lake Dardanelle to get the West Super Regional started.
Photo: Rob Russow
Boats idle past inspection before blasting off to start their day.
Photo: Rob Russow
On a college budget, push poles are a luxury, leading this team to fashion a stick for the same purpose.
Photo: Rob Russow
The last few boats idle past the dock at the Lake Dardanelle State Park on Day One.
Photo: Rob Russow
Former National Champions at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Trent Gephardt and Brian Duckett make a cast early on Thursday.
Photo: Rob Russow
A few small spotted bass made their way into the boat, but the morning was slow for Gephardt and Duckett.
Photo: Rob Russow
The team from Southern Illinois University works under a bridge on Thursday.
Photo: Rob Russow
Bryan Partak reacts as a fish jumps free from his bait.
Photo: Rob Russow
Partak pulls up the trolling motor to make a move across the lake with two keepers in the well.
Photo: Rob Russow
Teams came from surrounding states to compete for a chance to qualify for the National Championship in July.
Photo: Rob Russow
A team fishes along one of the many bridges on Lake Dardanelle.
Photo: Rob Russow
Mook Miller and Kyle Billingsley from Arkansas had one keeper in the boat early on Thursday.
Photo: Rob Russow
Miller sets the hook, but nothing was there.
Photo: Rob Russow
Billingsley makes a cast during the early morning hours of Day One.
Photo: Rob Russow
A team from Henderson State pulled up near the Arkansas boys and started fishing a bridge.
Photo: Rob Russow
Miller swings a nice largemouth into the boat that he caught Thursday morning.
Photo: Rob Russow
Miller grabs the bass and attempts to retrieve his bait.
Photo: Rob Russow
All largemouth must measure at least 15 inches in length to be considered a keeper.
Photo: Rob Russow
Unfortunately for the team from Arkansas, this fish was just a hair short of the line and had to be thrown back.
Photo: Rob Russow
Cody Fuller works a bridge piling early on Day One of the West Super Regional.
Photo: Rob Russow
Fuller and Bechtel, from Oklahoma State University, work off the front deck in tandem to best cover water.
Photo: Rob Russow
