The Liberty University team of Travis Rulle of Denver, North Carolina, and Caleb Eppler of Sachse, Texas, took the lead after day one of 2015 FLW College Fishing National Championship presented by the Lowrance Insight Genesis College Cup Thursday with five bass weighing 22 pounds, 2 ounces. The Flames duo will begin day two with a 3-pound, 3-ounce lead in the three-day event, hosted by the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board, that features 45 of the top college bass fishing clubs from across the nation competing for a top award of a Ranger Z117 with a 90-horsepower outboard and entry into the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing.
“We did a good job working as a team,” said Travis Rulle, a junior majoring in Business Management and Finance. “We both caught a lot of fish but I was fortunate enough to catch the big one.
“We came into this event with a good game plan and a lot of preparation, we just hope it comes to fruition.”
The kicker fish that Rulle spoke of weighed in at 7 pounds, 9 ounces and allowed the team to cull for about 4 pounds. The early bite was key for them – they had a limit by 8:30 a.m. and it was about 9:00 a.m. when they caught the anchor for their sack.
“I wasn’t just holding the net,” said Caleb Eppler, a graduated senior in Exercise Science. “Travis just smoked me on the big one. We really didn’t think the bite would be on today with this cold front that rolled in, but everyone was catching fish, not just us. The weather is probably going to be our biggest challenge at this point but we have a plan for every condition.”
The team said they were running a couple of patterns that mainly consisted of fishing shallow. All of the fish came in 3 to 10 feet of water. Not wanting to give-up too many specifics they indicated they were fishing the main lake and a few creeks. When asked for a bait that they did not throw they replied a frog and an umbrella rig. They also added that they were probably the only team not throwing an umbrella rig.
The top 10 teams after day one on Lake Murray are:
1st: Liberty University – Travis Rulle, Denver, N.C., and Caleb Eppler, Sachse, Texas (five bass, 22-2)
2nd: Eastern Kentucky University – Kyle Raymer, Brandenburg, Ky., and Ethan Snyder, Vine Grove, Ky. (five bass, 18-15)
3rd: Colorado Mesa University – Kennedy Kinkade and Josh Worth, both of Grand Junction, Colo. (five bass, 18-10)
4th: Winona State University – Wyatt Stout, Winona, Minn., and Cade Laufenberg, Stoddard, Wis. (five bass, 17-8)
5th: Auburn University – Ben Curry, Hayden, Ala., and Timmy Ward, Sylacauga, Ala. (five bass, 17-8)
6th: University of South Carolina – Patrick Walters, Summerville, S.C., and Gettys Brannon, Columbia, S.C. (five bass, 17-6)
7th: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Blake Alford and Tyler Stewart, both West Monroe, La. (five bass, 17-4)
8th: Lamar University – Quinton Evans, Orange, Texas, and Colby Ogden, Kountze, Texas (five bass, 17-2)
9th: Tennessee Technological University – Matt Allen, Bloomington Springs, Tenn., and Zach Youngblood,, Silver Point, Tenn. (five bass, 16-11)
10th: Lamar University – Cameron Lafleur, Orangefield, Texas and Justin Royal, Vidor, Texas (five bass, 16-8)
Overall there were 198 bass weighing 542 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 45 college teams Thursday. The catch included 34 five-bass limits.
The FLW College Fishing National Championship awards the top team a $30,000 prize package, including a Ranger Z117 with a 90-horsepower engine and an entry into the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup. The team member fishing as a pro in the Forrest Wood Cup also receives the use of a wrapped Ranger Boat and Ram Trucks Tow Vehicle. All prize money earned in the Forrest Wood Cup goes directly to the individual who earns it. The Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, will be held August 20-23 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and will offer the collegiate anglers the opportunity to compete for a top award of $500,000 – professional bass fishing’s richest prize..
Anglers will take off from SCE&G North Recreation Area at Dreher Shoals Dam located at 2101 N. Lake Drive, in Columbia at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Weigh-ins will be held adjacent to Carolina Stadium at Williams and Wheat Streets in Columbia beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday (or immediately following the end of the University of South Carolina baseball game). Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
FLW will also be hosting the College Fishing Expo April 16-18, which runs from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The Expo will take place adjacent to the Carolina Stadium. Activities include a sports zone, tailgate games, sponsor giveaways and a Ranger boat simulator.
Coverage of the 2015 FLW College Fishing National Championship will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) November 16 from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. EST when Season 20 of “FLW” returns this fall. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2015 over the course of 240 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
By: Julie Huber,
