Day Two at Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash in Missouri
Cabela's 03.26.13
Day two of the Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash began and ended much like day one; cold, damp, and dreary with the University of North Alabama at the top of the leaderboard. UNA Anglers took first place, second place, and third place when it was all said and done. However, it was a surprise to many that Dawson Lenz’s 7.62 pound giant from day one wasn’t the official Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass. He was topped by fellow Lions teammate Andrew Nutt, who caught a 7.67 pounder in the final hour of the event. Those two catches, coupled with Zachary Wiggers 7.08 pound bass, left the UNA Lions as the dominant team on Table Rock over the weekend.
When asked about the actual winning fish, Andrew said he was tested before being rewarded. “I was actually ready to call it quits because of the miserable conditions we had been in for two days, but I decided to sit down, take a break, and regroup heading into the final hour of the event. It was actually quite slow for me personally, but I knew it could happen at any time. Within about 10 casts after my break the big one bit.” Andrew went on to dedicate that fish, and his victory, to his father Gary Nutt, who passed away this past December. “Dad taught me to fish, among other things, and this one was for him!”
It was obvious the team was elated with their victory and it was truly a team effort. It began with club President and founding member of the UNA bass club, Robb Young, who found multiple fish over seven pounds on their first day of practice and quickly dialed the team into what they needed to be doing. When asked if he drew on his experience on the Tennessee River impoundments they call home, Robb said, “Actually this was about the exact opposite of fishing at home. More often than not you’ll find us sitting below dams, fishing current, or exploiting grass patterns, definitely not sitting out in deep clear water fishing structure like we found on Table Rock.”
For being “out of their element” these four anglers certainly got it done on The Rock and should be a force to be reckoned with for the remainder of the 2013 Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Andrew is actually a “local” on Kentucky Lake, the next stop for the ACA. From there they’ll wrap their season up at home (Florence, Alabama) for the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship in May. With that said, there are several college anglers who plan to give them a serious run for their money for the rest of the year.
As far as the rest of the Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash, the top five was rounded out by day one’s solid catches. John Woofford, the only non-UNA angler to crack the 7 pound mark, ended up fourth with his 7.01 pound catch on Friday.
Arkansas Tech angler Dylan Penzo’s 6.58 pound catch slipped one spot from day one, finishing as the fifth largest bass to cross the scales.
The Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash is one of three nationally televised events hosted as part of the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. These no entry fee events are open to all full-time students of university-recognized programs. Competitions are broadcast as part of the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Television Series, seen on the NBC Sports Network and available to over 79 million homes.
Remaining Tournament Schedule:
Collegiate Bass Fishing Open – April 18-20 – Kentucky Lake – Paris, Tenn.
BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship – May 23-25– Pickwick Lake – Florence, Ala.
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