National Guard FLW College Fishing is headed to Lake Monroe Nov. 4-6 for the Central Regional Championship. Twenty college teams from across the region have qualified and will be competing for a top award of $50,000, which includes a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower outboard wrapped in school colors for their bass club and $25,000 for their school.
The University of Indiana team of Jesse Schultz and Dustin Vaal will be making their second appearance at the Central Regional Championships and are hoping to repeat as champions. The team earned a trip to the FLW College Fishing National Championship in April 2010 where they finished in 10th place. The duo was also named to the first FLW College Fishing All-America team this past August.
“For the average person, Lake Monroe is tough to fish,” said FLW Tour pro John Voyles of Petersburg, Ind. “There is a lot of rock and rocky shoreline in the lake and not a lot of cover. The lake is down this year due to the lack of rain which is also going to impact the fishing.
“This time of year the bass are following the shad which are starting to push back up into the river and that’s what I would concentrate on,” added Voyles. “I would have a jig, a spinnerbait, a crankbait, either a shallow or medium diver, and a shaky-head on board. A combination of those four baits should be all that is needed.”
Voyles went on to say that teams are going to have to bring a consistent 11-13 pounds to the scale every day.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if a 20 pound sack is brought in. There are a few 10-pounders out there, but it is really hard to consistently bring in that kind of weight on Monroe.”
Anglers will take off from Cutright Ramp located at 8012 Knightridge Road in Bloomington, Ind., at 8:30 a.m. each morning. Weigh-ins will be held at Indiana University – Memorial Stadium located at 700 E 17th Street in Bloomington beginning daily at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The University of Indiana also is hosting the College Fishing Festival throughout the three day tournament.. Students and fishing fans alike will be treated to live music, the National Guard Warrior Challenge, a Ranger Boat simulator, tailgate games, a sports zone along with contests for cash and several prize give-aways. The festival will take place at Indiana University – Memorial Stadium from 2 – 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Schools competing in this week’s tournament include:
| College of the Ozarks | Greg Jarman, Jefferson City, Mo., and Robert Loyd, Fair Grove, Mo. |
| College of the Ozarks | Nathan Lawrence, Nixa, Mo., and James Lea, Hollister, Mo. |
| Eastern Kentucky | John Smith, Richmond, Ky., and Christopher Davis, Lagrange, Ky. |
| Eastern Kentucky | Kyle Raymer, Brandenburg, Ky., and Jonas Ertel, London, Ky. |
| Harding University | Seth Presley, Harrison, Ark., and Todd Johnson, Harrison, Ark. |
| Henderson State | Justin Westfall, Nashville, Ark., and Michael Jennings, Arkadelphia, Ark. |
| Indiana University | Jesse Schultz, New Albany, Ind., and Dustin Vaal, Bloomington, Ind. |
| Missouri State University | John Rose, Ballwin, Mo., and Brad Dunaway, Sedalia, Mo. |
| Northwestern University | Matthew Kestufski, Georgetown, Ill., and Jimmy Morrow, Arlington Heights, Ill. |
| Purdue University | Chad Dunham, West Lafayette, Ind., and Alexander Lowe, Greenfield, Ind. |
| Purdue University | Charles Spicer, Arcola, Ind., and Chris Kaiser, Carmel, Ind. |
| Purdue University | Chris Bookout, West Lafayette, Ind. and Michael Ruhana, Greenwood, Ind. |
| Southeast Missouri State | Andrew Pinkley, Malden, Mo., and Jim McDevitt, Eldon, Mo. |
| Truman State University | Mike McCarthy, Jr., Chesterfield, Mo., and Spencer Clark, Kirksville, Mo. |
| University of Arkansas, Little Rock | Brian Duckett, Little Rock, Ark., and Trent Gephardt, Benton, Ark. |
| University of Iowa | Tyler Mehrl, Cedar Rapids, Iowa and John Mercer, Burlington, Iowa |
| University of Wisconsin, Stout | Jeremy Anibas, Colfax, Wis., and Ryan Helke, Menomonie, Wis. |
| University of Wisconsin, Whitewater | Jordan Truttschel, Kiel, Wis., and Tyler Netzer, Lake Mills, Wis. |
| Winona State University | Jerry Jonsgaard, St. Charles, Minn., and Zac Cassill, Fairfax, Iowa |
| Western Kentucky University | David Stephens, Louisville, Ky., and Andy Southard, Hanson, Ky. |
The top five teams from each regional championship, 25 total teams, will advance to the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship that will be hosted by Murray State University on Kentucky Lake, April 7-9. The National Championship is a three-day televised event. Teams will be provided jerseys and wrapped Ranger boats towed by Chevy trucks for this competition. The first-place team will win $100,000 with $50,000 of that for their school and $25,000 cash and a Ranger 177TR bass boat for their fishing club along with a berth in the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup.
FLW Outdoors provides boats and drivers for each competing team along with travel allowances. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.
Coverage of the Central Regional Championship will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors,” will air Dec. 12 from 1 – 2 p.m. ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide.
ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000By: Julie Huber,
