The Purdue University team of Charles Spicer of Arcola, Ind., and Chris Kaiser of Carmel, Ind., won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Central Division event on Kentucky/Barkley lakes Saturday with six bass weighing 24 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned the team $10,000 to be split evenly between the university and the university’s bass-fishing club. The win also helped them advance to the Central Division Regional Championship where they could ultimately win a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower engine wrapped in school colors for their school’s bass club and $25,000 for the school they represent.
“This is pretty awesome,” said Kaiser. “We’re both freshmen and this is our first FLW (event), so we’re pretty pumped.
“We’ve done a lot of research and a lot of work, and it just all came together,” Kaiser added.
Kaiser said the pair caught their fish deep cranking chartreuse and blue crankbaits on pea gravel points.
“We don’t really do that much in Indiana,” Kaiser said. “I had one tied on in the morning and he didn’t, and I caught a 4-pound smallie in the first five minutes, so he put on a deep crank, we put the trolling motor on high and we covered water, and it worked out.”
Rounding out the top five teams were Indiana University – Jesse Schultz and Dustin Vaal, both of Bloomington, Ind., (six bass, 21-13, $5,000); Missouri State University – John Rose of Ballwin, Mo., and Brad Dunaway of Springfield, Mo., (six bass, 20-7, $4,000); Eastern Kentucky – Kyle Raymer of Brandenburg, Ky., and Jonas Ertel of London, Ky., (three bass, 19-6, $3,000); College of the Ozarks – Nathan Lawrence of Nixa, Mo., and James Lea of Hollister, Mo., (six bass, 19-0, $2,000).
The next National Guard FLW College Central Division tournament is the Central Regional Championship scheduled for Nov. 4 at Lake Monroe. The top five teams in each qualifying event advance to one of five televised three-day National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championships. College Fishing is free to enter, boats and drivers are provided by FLW Outdoors and all collegiate teams receive a travel allowance.
The top five teams from each regional championship will advance to the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship. The National Championship is a three-day televised event hosting the top five teams from each regional, 25 total teams. Teams will be provided jerseys and wrapped Ranger boats towed by Chevy trucks for this competition.
The 2009 National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship was held April 10-12 at Ft. Loudoun and was hosted by the University of Tennessee. The University of Florida was the first National Guard FLW Collegiate National Champion and qualified for the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup Aug. 5-8 at Lake Lanier in Atlanta, Ga. The winners also received use of a wrapped boat and Chevy truck for Cup competition.
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) 252-1000.By: Chad Gay, Public Relations Manager
