Nation: Day 2 weigh-in

It’s Day 2 of The Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional presented by Magellan Outdoors, and part of every tournament is the wait at the tanks. It’s when every angler gains confidence (or loses it) after getting perhaps a brief peek at what the competition caught.

But when B.A.S.S. Nation Director takes the stage, everyone knows it’s “Go Time.’

But as always, we take time to honor or nation with the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.

Young and old join in as we salute America.

And now it’s time for the bass! And what a day it was for many of the 380 anglers competing in this tournament on Toledo Bend. Here’s 16-year old Joshua DeKoning of Team Michigan with a 7-pound, 2-ounce toad he caught on Thursday. He’s in 10th place overall among non-boaters with a two-day total of six bass weighing 19-6.

Team Louisiana’s Charlie Hewitt grimaces at the 8-6 limit he caught on Thursday, but it was enough to keep him in first place in the non-boater division with 26-7 overall.

Team Kansas’ Chris Torkelson is in 21st place in the boater division with 29-5 over two days.

Team Arkansas’ Deric Fife is in eighth place in the boater division with 32-13.

Keith Broyles of Tennessee finished right on the money line for boaters. He’s in 38th place with 27-13.

What a day for Minnesota’s Corey Brant. He bagged a 22-15 limit which put him in third place among boaters with a 35-9 total. Tournament official Hank Weldon helps him hoist the haul.

John Roth of Indiana is seventh among boaters with 32-13.

Bert Petrie of Team Texas is fourth among non-boaters thanks in part to this mule he caught Thursday.

Donald Adcock of Mississippi is 29th among boaters with 28-10.

Kyle Dorsett of of Alabama is 17th among boaters with 30-1.

Albert Collins of Texas is fifth in the boater division with a two-day haul of 34-11.

Brock Bila of Team Kansas had this big 8-3 Thursday. He’ll fish again Friday as he’s in seventh place in the non-boater division with six bass weighing 19-11.

Harry Marsh III of Wisconsin is 13th among boaters with 30-10.

Eric Silverstrim of Tennessee is 25th among boaters with 29-0.

Nicholas Kincaid of Team Oklahoma sits in 16th place with 30-2.

Rick Messer of Team Arkansas is sitting pretty with a 29-1 total over two days; good enough for 24th place in the boater division.

Gary Adkins of Wisconsin is in 18th place in the boater division with 29-14 over two days.

Greg Phillips of Team Tennessee is in 12th place among boaters with 31-3.

Jesse Weener led Team Michigan when he caught a nice 19-6 limit on Thursday. He’s in 39th place among boaters with 27-6.

Dan Parker of Iowa is 14th in the boater division with 30-7 over two days.

Todd Newchurch, a non-boater for Team Louisiana, is third in the division with 21-15 over two days. That’s a 7-pounder he’s holding, while Hank Weldon inserts another big bass into the frame.

At last, the bag of the tournament (so far.) Bob Blumenstein of Team Illinois whacked the Toledo Bend bass on Thursday with a limit of 25-13. His two-day total of 42-11 has him more than four pounds ahead of the nearest competitor in the boater field.

And that’s this guy — Greg Vance of Team Iowa. The young angler has put together a two-day total of 38-10. Here he shows two of the toads that were part of his 21-2 limit on Thursday.

And as awesome as the bass Blumenstein and Vance caught, they couldn’t touch this absolute beast caught by Indiana boater Chris Myers. The bass weighed a whopping 11 pounds, 6 ounces, which was a personal best for a guy who’s fished bass for 37 years. The lunker helped him to a 23-5 sack on Thursday, and he’s in 10th place overall with 32-4.

Let’s get a closer look at that bass. Wow!

And the Toledo Bend hits just keep coming. That’s Texas’ Nickolas LeBrun with an 8-6 bass. He’s in 32nd place with 28-4 and he will fish on Friday.

Tim Cartwright of Oklahoma is in sixth place among non-boaters with 20-6.

David Cavell helped Team Louisiana win the team title with fish like these. He’s in 11th place among boaters with 31-10.

It was a good day for Team Indiana and lunker bass. Here’s Gordon Lamb with a 9-3 whopper. It wasn’t enough to get him into Friday’s cut, but man, what a bass!

Mark Pierce of Team Tennessee is 19th in the boater field with a two-day total of 29-8.

Rodney Bunge of Team Iowa jumped into the fourth place in the boater field with a 24-14 sack late Thursday. It was the second heaviest limit of the day and it gave him a two-day total of 35-6.

With the weigh-in complete and results tallied, B.A.S.S. Nation Director Jon Stewart congratulates Louisiana B.A.S.S. Nation President Kevin Gaubert.

And then each member of Team Louisiana was called to the stage to receive plaques to commemorate their victory. The team’s cumulative effort (135 bass totaling 379 pounds, 2 ounces) led the field. Nine Louisiana anglers survived to fish Friday when the top boater and non-boater from each of the 19 states represented here will lock up a spot in the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship later this year.

Ladies and gentleman, Team Louisiana!