Texas A&M Claims College Series National Championship

Matthew McArdle (left) and Josh Bensema of Texas A&M University weighed in 3 pounds, 10 ounces Friday for a three-day total weight of 18 pounds, 4 ounces to take home the trophy in the 2015 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops held on Lake DuBay out of Stevens Point, Wis.

July 11, 2015

Texas A&M Claims College Series National Championship

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — On a tough final day Josh Bensema and Matthew McArdle of Texas A&M University needed only two bass weighing 3 pounds, 10 ounces to claim the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.

The Aggies overcame a 6-ounce deficit and a 50-minute delay on Saturday morning to surpass the second-round leaders — Tyler Rivet and Allyson Marcel of Nicholls State University — and take home the biggest prize in college bass fishing.

“When we caught a keeper bass right away, we were very confident,” Bensema said of their fishing day. “To go almost the rest of the day with no fish was tough.” In fact, the pair’s only other bass was caught with only minutes of fishing time remaining.

“Catching that smallmouth with five minutes to go was important. Matt looked at me and said ‘I think you just caught the winning fish.’ It turns out I did.”

“I still feel like I’m dreaming,” Bensema said. “I’m sure it will hit me soon, but I’m trying to keep it in the back of my mind right now because I need to keep my focus aimed at the bracket.”

The champions will have little time to celebrate their team title. The Carhartt Bassmaster College Classic Bracket phase of the competition, which determines the lone Carhartt College Series qualifier for the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro, begins Sunday morning.

Members of the Top 4 teams will fish individually in head-to-head bracket competition over the next three days. The winner earns a berth in the Classic to be held in Tulsa, Okla., March 4-6.

Over the course of the national championship, Bensema and McArdle caught eight bass for a three-day total of 18-4. The majority of their fish came on a topwater frog, although a jig accounted for some keepers as well. Bass were biting best for the A&M anglers in the morning hours, which made the delayed start Saturday all the more painful for them.

Bensema did not have the proper paperwork for his boat insurance, a requirement under B.A.S.S. rules, and it took nearly an hour to meet that requirement.

“We got a little rattled this morning, and I made about 100 hundred phone calls,” McArdle said. “We just decided to keep our heads up and just go fishing because you fish much better when you don’t stress yourself out.”

The tough nature of this fishery and the pressure that Lake DuBay has received over the entire week culminated with only two of the five teams in the finals boating keeper bass on Saturday. The University of Minnesota, like Texas A&M, only boated two keepers and fell short of the title by 1 pound. Trevor Lo and Chris Burgan of Minnesota claimed second place after weighing 5 pounds, 8 ounces on Saturday and finishing with a three-day total of 17 pounds, 4 ounces.

The Friday leaders from Nicholls State University, Rivet and Marcel, didn’t catch a keeper bass on Saturday and dropped to third overall, but they still punched their ticket to fish in the Carhartt Bassmater College Series Classic Bracket. The pair boated six fish for 15 pounds over three days.

Rivet and Marcel won a $250 Bass Pro Shops gift card for winning the Bass Pro Shops/Nitro Big Bag award with an 8-pound, 7-ounce catch on Friday.

Minnesota’s Lo and Burgan claimed the Carhartt Big Bass award for a 3-13 smallmouth. They will receive a $500 Carhartt gift card.

Jake Whitaker and Andrew Helms from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte claimed the fourth and final spot in the Classic Bracket.

The University of Alabama squeezed into the 5th and final spot to fish on Saturday, but Frankie Appaluccio and Logan Shaddix weren’t able to weigh a bass on Saturday, leaving them in fifth and eliminating them from the Classic Bracket.

The first round of the College Series Classic Bracket begins on Sunday with takeoff at 6 a.m. CT from Bukolt Park (100 Bukolt Ave. Stevens Point, Wis 54481) with the weigh-in starting at 2:30 p.m. at Bukolt Park.

Local hosts for the events are the Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Stevens Point Area Central Wisconsin Sports Commission, Tike Beach Bar and Grill, Travel Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops NationalChampionship7/9/2015 – 7/11/2015Lake DuBay – Tiki Beach Bar & Grill – Stevens Point, WISTANDINGS BOATER DAY 3

Today’s Activity# Fish Lbs – OzAccumulativeName # Live # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz1 Josh Bensema – Matthew Mcardle Texas A&M University 2 2 3-10 8 8 18- 42 Trevor Lo – Chris Burgan University of Minnesota 2 2 5- 8 7 7 17- 43 Tyler Rivet – Allyson Marcel Nicholls State University 0 0 0- 0 6 6 15- 04 Jake Whitaker – Andrew Helms UNC Charlotte 0 0 0- 0 6 6 13- 35 Frankie Appaluccio – Logan Shaddix University of Alabama 0 0 0- 0 5 5 11-116 Zachary Blalock – Mike Corbishley East Carolina University 5 5 11-117 Austin Brimeyer – Anthony Riesberg University of Dubuque 5 5 9- 98 Hunter Gibson – Caiden Sinclair University of Alabama 5 5 9- 49 Kelly Johnson – Jeremy Gilley Appalachian State University 3 3 8- 110 Zack Bodford – Matthew Hinkle NC State University 4 4 8- 111 JP Kimbrough – Jared Rascoe LSU Shreveport 3 3 7-1512 Hunter Hill – Ethan Howell Appalachian State University 3 3 7-1413 Ross Burns – Isaac Clemson University 4 4 7-1214 Justin Singleton – Zac Bennett Georgia College & State University 4 4 7- 815 Patrick Walters – Josh Rennebaum University of South Carolina 4 4 7- 716 Cade Laufenberg – Wyatt Stout Winona State University 3 3 7- 617 Tyler Stewart – Nick Joiner La Monroe 4 4 7- 618 Josh Oliver – Nathan George Gadsden State Community College 4 4 7- 319 Kyle Winstead – Brandon Koon UT Martin 4 4 6-1520 Taylor Bivins – Kyle Alsop Kansas State University 4 4 6-1021 John Duarte – Jonathan Kelley Coastal Carolina University 4 4 6- 622 Jared Mataczynski – Steve Nebel University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 3 3 6- 523 Phillip Germagliotti – Shane Campbell McKendree University 4 4 6- 224 Brock Enmeier – Colten Hutson University of Central Oklahoma 3 3 5-1125 Cody Spears – Justin Mahon Florida State University 2 2 5- 826 John Ledet – Justin Cooper Northwestern State University 4 4 5- 627 Tanner Austin – Ethan Clark Sacramento State 2 2 5- 428 Murphy Klumpp – Lucas Brown Auburn University 3 3 5- 429 Baylor Ronemus – Cole Tinsley Clemson University 3 3 5- 230 Anderson Aldag – Lee Mattox University of Alabama 2 2 4- 931 Justin Brown – Brandon Bissell Northern Michigan University 3 3 4- 332 Cole Atkinson – St Ambrose University 2 2 4- 333 Edward Rude III – Matthew Combs West Virginia University 3 3 4- 334 Easton Ramsey – Chris Zins University of Central Oklahoma 2 2 3-1535 Grayson Barber – Hiroto Kinoshita NC State University 2 2 3-1436 Sheldon Rogge – Lance Maldonado Kansas State University 2 2 3-1237 John Garrett – Brian Pahl Bethel University 1 1 3-1138 Joshua Butts – Justin Rivers Wallace State CC Hanceville 2 2 3-1039 Kevin Lucas – Kyle Stafford U. of Central Florida 2 2 3- 840 Aaron Belgard – Logan Laprarie Northwestern State University 2 2 3- 841 Tyler Craig – Blake Alford La Monroe 2 2 3- 342 Evan Smith – Aaron Sarna Arkansas Tech University 2 2 3- 143 Evan Horne – Dawson Lenz University of North Alabama 2 2 2-1544 Taylor Minick – Michael Harbach Valdosta State University 2 2 2-1445 Tyler Rocke – Justin Schick Illinois Central College 2 2 2-1346 Jacob Wall – University of Oregon 1 1 2-1247 Ross Dove – Richie Young Emmanuel College 2 2 2-1148 Cole Blythe – John Auten UNC Charlotte 1 1 2-1149 Samuel Moore – Ross Kellermeier Bemidji State University 2 2 2-1050 Alex Klein – Chico State 1 1 2- 551 Ethan Snyder – Shaw Owens Eastern Kentucky University 1 1 2- 452 Matt Allen – Zach Youngblood Tennessee Tech University 1 1 2- 253 CJ Knight – Tim Ward Auburn University 1 1 2- 154 Dwight Camp – Jonathan Furlong Southeastern Oklahoma University 1 1 1-1154 Laj Tripp – Kyle Sittman Eastern Washington University 1 1 1-1156 Thomas Oltorik III – James Oltorik Daytona State College 1 1 1-1057 Jay Emmert – Christian Peake U. of Tennessee 1 1 1- 958 Chelsey Queen – Kristopher Queen Bethel University 1 1 1- 859 Benjamin Freeman – Dillon McGee Bethel University 1 1 1- 660 Justin Bruno – Brody Anderson Grand Valley State University 1 1 1- 560 Austin Neary – Alex Frazier Western Carolina University 1 1 1- 560 Jonathan Peck – Devin Wallis Bryan College 1 1 1- 560 Michael Woods – Chas Brannon Chico State 1 1 1- 564 Jacob Reome – Matthew Garvin Clemson University 1 1 1- 465 Austin Littrell – Ben Wall Auburn University 1 1 1- 366 Kit Benson – Wes Lashmett Western Illinois University 1 0 1- 367 Grant Ehlenfeldt – Brett Stanek University of Wisconsin-Platteville 1 1 1- 267 Cy Floyd – Travis Opel Eastern Washington University 1 1 1- 267 Lance Freeman – Seth Brock Murray State University 1 1 1- 270 Alec Castonguay – Garret Whitley Stephen F Austin State University 0 0 0- 070 Brian Eaton – Slade Daniel La Monroe 0 0 0- 070 Grant Galloway – Joe Marty Mississippi State University 0 0 0- 070 Justin Gaskin – James Avant LSU Shreveport 0 0 0- 070 Clayton Godfrey – Garret Lindsey Stephen F Austin State University 0 0 0- 070 Darrell Henson Jr. – Brent Rome LSU 0 0 0- 070 Shelby Hutchens – Brian Blades Stephen F Austin State University 0 0 0- 070 Jordan Ledbetter – Trent Robinson McKendree University 0 0 0- 070 Zander Monk – Taylor Thomas UNC Charlotte 0 0 0- 070 Colby Ogden – Brandon Simoneaux Lamar University 0 0 0- 070 Carson Orellana – Strayer University 0 0 0- 070 John Zeolla – Clayton Lauchland Cal Poly 0 0 0- 0Name City,State Lbs-OzBIG BASSDay1 John Garrett – Brian Pahl Union City, TN 3-112 Hunter Gibson – Caiden SincHlaoirover, AL 3- 83 Trevor Lo – Chris Burgan Woodbury, MN 3-13Day # Live Lbs-Oz # LimitsTOTALS# Fish1 103 102 196-11 162 71 71 140- 4 113 4 4 9- 2 0

The post Texas A&M Claims College Series National Championship appeared first on The Bass Cast.