UW Stevens Point grabs top spot at FLW College Fishing Central Regional

Teammates Johnson, Derks hold 3-pound lead over next closest competitor on Kinkaid Lake

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Although FLW College Fishing teams have faced some difficult venues in the past, Kinkaid Lake clearly poses one of the greatest challenges collegiate anglers have faced since the tournament trail’s inception in 2009. So just how difficult was the fishing during the opening round of Central Regional Championship competition? Out of 20 teams, only 10 managed to bring a single fish to the scales. In addition, out of those 10 teams, only five landed more than one keeper. And only one team had more than two fish total.

Now while the 16-inch minimum length limit was a large factor in that outcome, it was equally clear that the full field struggled mightily to bring any significant weight to the scales. In fact, by the time the first day’s weigh-in had concluded, only five teams had registered stringers weighing in over 4 pounds.

But while a host of teams showed up to weigh-in empty-handed, a few teams managed to produce some fine stringers given the circumstances. And leading the pack was the duo of Ted Johnson and Jody Derks from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. By the end of the afternoon, Johnson and Derks had registered a full 8 pounds, 4 ounces, out-fishing their next closest competitors by more than 3 pounds.

And to think, they did it all with virtually no sleep and no practice time to speak of.

“We wound up driving all night and we didn’t get here until yesterday at 5:30 a.m.,” said Johnson. “That was the first time we’d even seen the lake. It’s actually the first time we’ve ever fished in Illinois.”

In a strange way, not knowing anything at all about Kinkaid Lake and having virtually no time to prepare may have played into their hands.

“I know some of these guys came down here two months ago and caught a bunch of fish,” Johnson said. “So they went back to those spots and stayed there all day even though there weren’t catching anything. But for us, it was all about keeping an open mind. We caught every fish on a different bait and we really moved around a lot. We fished deep and we fished shallow. And if we weren’t catching anything or the area wasn’t any good, we’re gone. We’re nose down and just kept fishing hard all day.”

However, although the UW Stevens Point crew is now in the lead, don’t think for a minute that they’re even close to feeling comfortable.

“I was psyched when we were up on stage because I never thought 8 pounds, 4 ounces would be leading the tournament,” said Derks. “But now I’m starting to get really nervous. I kind of wish this was a one-day tournament.”

“When you think about it, we really just got one more good bite than the other guys. So my mind is already on tomorrow because we still have a lot of work left to do,” said Johnson. “A limit tomorrow is going to be huge. With every keeper I get in the boat I’m going to be smiling from ear to ear. But right now, I’m physically and mentally exhausted because we really worked our tails off today.”

Hometown team excels

As the only other team to record a stringer in excess of 5 pounds, the duo of Justin Skinner and Brad Lemasters of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, made sure that they didn’t disappoint the fan faithful. Posting a total catch of 5 pounds, 3 ounces, Lemasters and Skinner found themselves alone in second place. And to be sure, nobody was more surprised than them.

“When we’re driving back to weigh-in we were talking about weights and we thought that maybe we’d be in seventh place or so,” said Skinner. “But it just really shows you how tough this tournament is right now. It’s really amazing to see these weights. We know how good these guys are, so it just goes to show you how difficult the fishing really is.”

Skinner’s partner agreed.

“We never would have guessed that we’d be sitting in second place right now,” said Lemaster. “I mean, these are some of the best schools in the Central region. I think it’s just one of those days.”

The team said that it employed a variety of baits while focusing in on three main stretches of banks that appeared to be holding largemouth bass transitioning between shallow and deeper water.

“We used 10 different rods today with seven different lures,” said Lemaster. “We just always made sure we’re throwing something different from each other all the time. But it was still tough. We had a great practice and our fish didn’t move at all but they were still hard to catch. My guess is that there was a certain period of time when those fish were feeding and we just have to make sure we’re there at the right time tomorrow.”

“Our fish didn’t move,” added Skinner. “They just didn’t want anything we’re throwing, I guess.”

Eastern Kentucky moves into third

Bolstered by a total catch of 4 pounds, 15 ounces, the Eastern Kentucky University team of Kyle Raymer and John Smith netted third place overall.

“It was a grind all day long. But unlike most of the teams, we struggled both today an in practice,” Raymer joked. “It feels nice to start off (well) but we’re going to have to catch them better tomorrow. It’s just a matter of getting that 16-inch bite. It’s tough out there, so really nobody is out of it at this point.”

Kansas State University finishes fourth

While most teams had the luxury of fielding two competitors, that was not the case with the Kansas State University team. Due to a prior commitment, Brandon Patterson was unable to attend the regional championship. As a result, Brandon’s brother, Ryan Patterson, was left to carry the load of the entire team by fishing solo.

But when all was said and done, Patterson did an admirable job, bringing a total catch of 4 pounds, 10 ounces to the scales while out-fishing 16 other teams in the process.

“It was just a grind,” said Patterson. “I just put my head down, stuck to one area and tried as hard as I could. I’m just hoping I can get some big bites tomorrow.”

Northwestern nails down fifth place

With only the top five teams in line to qualify for the 2012 national championship, the Northwestern University squad of Jimmy Morrow and Matthew Kestufskie did all they could to remain in the running for one of those crucial top-five berths. Using a catch of 4 pounds, 7 ounces, Northwestern University currently sits alone in fifth place overall with a slender 9-ounce cushion.

`It’s really anyone’s tournament right now,” said Kestufskie. “There is a potential for a 15-pound bag out there, so this tournament is kind of up in the air right now.”

To see a complete list of today’s results, click here.

Central College Regional Championship action continues during Friday morning takeoff, slated to take place at 7 a.m. at Kinkaid Lake Marina, located at 2063 Marina Road in Murphysboro, Ill.