COLUMBIA, S.C. – The air temperature reached a high of 53 degrees here yesterday, which tied a record for the coolest high temperature for that date. Apparently, the short-lived cold snap also had a chilling effect on the fishing at Lake Murray this morning, as several competitors in the FLW College Fishing National Championship presented by Lowrance Insight Genesis College Cup reported meager results.

There were a couple of notable exceptions, including Patrick Walters and Gettys Brannon of the University of South Carolina, who had a limit of about 18 pounds by midmorning and were seen culling a 3-pound fish. Josh Worth and Kennedy Kinkade of Colorado Mesa University, in third place after Thursday’s opening round, had four keepers that collectively weighed in the mid-teens.

Both Liberty University, the tournament leader, and Eastern Kentucky University, in second place, were reported to have small limits by late morning. Walters and Brannon, the local favorites, held down sixth place going into today’s second round, but said they would be fishing areas known to harbor bigger fish today. Apparently, that strategy is working for them.

Some of yesterday’s leaders noted that there weren’t as many surface blowups of bass chasing blueback herring, and that the Fluke-type rigs that were producing fish on day one weren’t as productive on day two. Likewise, the blowups seem to be taking place farther offshore, perhaps indicating that the herring schools triggering the feeding frenzies have moved out temporarily. Thursday’s surface temperature was 69 degrees; today, it’s 66 degrees.

Friday’s weigh-in begins at 5 p.m. ET adjacent to the Carolina Baseball Stadium. Like the weigh-in, the FLW Expo featuring games, booths and family activities is free and open to the public and runs from 4:30 – 7 p.m.

Check out more On The Water photos from day 2.