(LEBANON, Ill., March 26)--The McKendree University bass fishing team traveled to Smith Lake in Alabama for the second event on the 2019 Bassmaster Collegiate Tour. The tournament hosted 250 teams from 74 different colleges and universities in 28 states.
According to McKendree bass fishing coach
Jon Rinderer, with recent heavy rains, the teams began practicing with the lake at 516 feet above sea level, which is six feet over normal pool. This high water opened the door for many new areas to explore. Several of the Bearcat teams focused on the lake's huge population of spotted bass that were located in the deeper main lake waters. These fish would be much less affected as the water levels were rapldly being drawn down. Others opted to look for largemouth in the shallow pre-spawn pockets created by the high water. With the lake dropping almost three feet from the beginning of practice until the last day of the tournament, it made for a very challenging contest.
In a Bassmaster Tour event, the entire field fishes the first two days and only the top 12 teams qualify to fish the third and final day. After the first two qualifying days, the McKendree duo of
Trevor McKinney (Benton, IL/Benton) and
Ethan Jones (Worden, IL/Father McGivney) were sitting in third place with a two-day total weight of 32 pounds. Their third place position earned them their second invitation to the Bassmaster National Championship. Not far behind was the Bearcat team of
Jacob Louis (Pinckneyville, IL/Pinckneyville) and
Nate Doty (Decatur, IL/Sangamon Valley). Their two-day total of 25 pounds, one ounce also earned them another National Championship bid due to their 21st place finish.
Tyler Christy (Bolingbrook, IL/Bolingbrook) and
Trey Schroeder (Crestwood, MO/Lindbergh) finished with a two-day total of 14 pounds, three ounces to put them in 139th place.
Blake Jackson (Carterville, IL/Carterville) and
Christian Hernandez (Streamwood, IL/Streamwood) finished their two days with 14 pounds, two ounces for 141st place, while
Joseph Bruener (Douglas, TX/Douglas) and
Bailey Bleser (Burlington, WI/Catholic Central) weighed in at eight pounds, two ounces for 193rd place.
McKinney and Jones were one of the teams that focused on largemouth bass in the shallower flooded bushes and pockets. With the water level dropping eight to 12 inches a day, many of their day one and two spots were high and dry on day three. After studying their maps and data, they decided to target the bigger largemouth early on day three, and if that failed, they would try to fill out their limit with spotted bass from deeper waters. Making the best of their morning bite, they had only two fish for approximately 7 1/2 pounds and knew they needed three more bass for a limit and a chance to win. As Bassmaster rules state, a team can receive information from their teammates as long as they ask for it before the day two weigh-in is completed. Louis and Doty shared one of their key off-shore spots with McKinney and Jones during the day two weigh-in just in case their shallow water bite died out on day three. It turned out to be a good thing that the information was shared as McKinney and Jones were able to go there and catch several more keepers, culling their weight up to 13 pounds, 15 ounces on the final day. That gave the duo a three-day total of 45 pounds, 15 ounces and a fifth place finish overall.
The next event for the McKendree bass fishing program is the Murray State Open on Kentucky Lake March 30-31.
