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Kansas team places third
Bassmaster Win Is Graduation Gift for Miller and Billingsley

May 12, 2012 - WAGONER, Okla. - Today was to have been the day for Mook Miller and Kyle Billingsley to walk across the stage of Bud Walton Arena and receive their undergraduate diplomas at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Instead, the two Arkansans walked across the B.A.S.S. weigh-in stage on the shoreline of Oklahoma’s Fort Gibson Lake and received their winner’s trophies at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Central Super Regional.

Miller and Billingsley won the tournament after weighing the final day’s biggest catch of 13 pounds, 14 ounces. They added that weight to yesterday’s catch of 14-3 for an overall weight of 28-1.

“Hopefully all of our professors and family members will forgive us because this was worth it,” said Miller, 22, a communications graduate. “Today at 1:30, we were supposed to be walking for graduation, and we missed the commencement ceremony.”

And what were they thinking about at 1:30 p.m.?

“We were thinking about how many fish we needed to put into the boat to win,” quipped Billingsley, 21, a business graduate.

It was only the Arkansans’ second trip to Fort Gibson, even though the lake is located less than 100 miles from the campus. A strategy came together after a classic postspawn pattern of textbook scenarios fell into place.

Midway through the first competition day and with an empty livewell, the anglers stopped their boat in an area of private boat docks located near creek channels.

A pattern showed signs of life when Miller caught a 14-inch keeper after pitching a wacky-rigged, 6-inch, watermelon red Yum Dinger worm around the wooden pilings. Billingsley responded by casting a chartreuse/black XCalibur Square Lip crankbait parallel down the sides of the piers and burning the lure back to the boat.

The team went on the hunt to locate similar docks positioned near 20 feet of water. More keepers were caught, and a strategy was in place.

The ideal selection of baits proved irresistible to the finicky postspawn fish they encountered during the competition. The slow, tantalizing action of the falling worm rig and the getaway-speed retrieve of the crankbait triggered reflex strikes of bass already feeding on shad swimming in the nearby channels.

Arkansas Tech’s Jordan Mullenix and Evan Smith came in second place with an overall weight of 26 pounds. The layout of Fort Gibson’s upper reaches ideally suited the team’s competitive strengths.

“River fishing is more our style, so we focused up the river,” said Mullenix, 21, an emergency management major from Mount Ida. “We like shallow, dirty water, and we found it up there after all the rain.”

The team put those strengths into play by searching for stretches of the Grand River holding a steady current. They correctly surmised partly sunny skies would keep the fish holding tight to underwater habitat. That was found in the form of isolated stretches of rocky shorelines.

The team’s key bait during sunny conditions was an 8-inch black/blue Havoc Juice Worm rigged Texas style with a ¼-ounce sinker. Strikes came when the rig bounced into the rocky crevices as the anglers hopped the lure downstream with the current.

The effort produced a first-day limit weighing 13-3 that landed the team in 7th place. The catch was anchored by Smith’s largemouth weighing 5-10 that proved to be the biggest bass of the tournament.

A changeup was necessary on the final day after overnight rainfall made the daytime skies turn overcast. The fish abandoned the rocky habitat and dispersed to an underwater ridge to feed on shad.

The new lure of choice was a baby bass color Heddon Super Spook Junior topwater plug. Smith made long casts with the minnow imitator across the flat where the bass were breaking the surface as they fed on the shad. The effort produced a limit weighing 12-12 that moved the Arkansans into second place.

Smith scored his second Carhartt Big Bass Award of the season with the 5-10 largemouth caught at Fort Gibson. He also won the award after landing a 9-pounder at the South Super Regional held on Lake Guntersville, Ala.

The Central Super Regional is one of four qualifying events toward the Carhartt Basssmaster College Series National Championship. The championship will determine the berth reserved for the top college bass angler at the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.

The next college-level event is the Carhartt Bassmaster Midwest Super Regional, May 18-19, in La Crosse, Wis.

5/11/2012 - 5/12/2012

Central Super Regional

Fort Gibson Lake - Taylor Ferry - Wagoner, OK

STANDINGS BOATER DAY 2

Name University # Live # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz

1 Mook Miller - Kyle Billingsley Arkansas 5 5 13-14 10 10 28- 1

2 Jordan Mullenix - Evan Smith Arkansas Tech 5 5 12-13 10 10 26- 0

3 Tyler Hetzel - Austin Twite Kansas State 5 5 10- 5 10 10 24-12

4 Cory Conley - Brock Enmeier University of Central Oklahoma 5 5 10- 7 10 10 24- 7

5 Paul Muzljakovich - Tyler Nipper University of Oklahoma 5 5 14- 5 10 10 24- 5

6 Aaron Sarna - Evan Barnes Arkansas Tech 5 5 9-10 10 10 24- 3

7 Zack Birge - Blake Flurry Oklahoma State 4 4 7-10 9 9 24- 3

8 Jordan Grimm - Brian Blades Stephen F Austin State University 4 4 11- 9 9 9 24- 0

9 Wesley Bissett - Dylan Duncan Northeastern State University 5 5 12-10 10 10 23- 3

10 Cale Fulps - Cody Plunkett Northeastern State University 3 3 6- 5 8 8 21-15

11 Mack Walters - David Faulk Mississippi State University 5 5 8-12 10 10 21- 5

12 Travis Snyder - Nate Gonsoulin Oklahoma State 5 5 10- 9 10 10 20-13

13 Robert Nicka - Dustin West Northeastern State University 4 4 8- 2 9 9 19-10

14 Kenneth Anderson - Drew Porto Arkansas 3 3 7-10 8 8 19- 3

15 Trent Newman - Jacob Sepeda Dallas Baptist University 4 3 8- 7 9 8 18-11

16 Dustyn Pendergraft - Cory Sloan Oklahoma State 3 3 7- 7 8 8 18- 4

17 Jared West - Preston Whisenhunt Stephen F Austin State University 5 4 13- 1 7 6 17-14

18 Toney Lewis - Scott Sullivan Central Missouri 5 5 14- 4 6 6 17- 3

19 Chris Knotts - Jerry Sepulvado LSU Shreveport 3 3 4-15 8 8 16-15

20 Johnathan Haines - Landon Dixon Oklahoma 5 5 10- 4 7 7 14- 1

21 Brian Eaton - Nick LaDart University of Lousiana Monroe 3 3 6-13 5 5 11- 4

22 Craig Fowler - Hunter Gregory Oklahoma State 1 1 1-13 4 4 9- 0

23 Trevor Parks - Chase Edmiston Oklahoma State 2 2 4- 9 4 4 8-10

24 Jake Jacobs - Arkansas Tech 2 2 4-15 3 3 7-13

25 Cody Collins - Zac Wymer Texas A&M University 0 0 0- 0 2 2 4- 4

26 William McCabe - Luke Gillespie Nebraska 0 0 0- 0 2 2 3- 6

27 Trey Bledsoe - Dallas Baptist University 1 1 2- 8 1 1 2- 8

28 Jimmy Phillips - Northeastern State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0

BIG BASS

Day

1 Jordan Mullenix Russellville, AR 5-10

2 Trey Bledsoe Arlington, TX 2- 8

Day # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits

TOTALS

# Fish

1 102 102 252- 4 17

2 97 95 223- 9 12

May 12, 2012 - WAGONER, Okla. - Today was to have been the day for Mook Miller and Kyle Billingsley to walk across the stage of Bud Walton Arena and receive their undergraduate diplomas at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Instead, the two Arkansans walked across the B.A.S.S. weigh-in stage on the shoreline of Oklahoma’s Fort Gibson Lake and received their winner’s trophies at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Central Super Regional.

Miller and Billingsley won the tournament after weighing the final day’s biggest catch of 13 pounds, 14 ounces. They added that weight to yesterday’s catch of 14-3 for an overall weight of 28-1.

“Hopefully all of our professors and family members will forgive us because this was worth it,” said Miller, 22, a communications graduate. “Today at 1:30, we were supposed to be walking for graduation, and we missed the commencement ceremony.”

And what were they thinking about at 1:30 p.m.?

“We were thinking about how many fish we needed to put into the boat to win,” quipped Billingsley, 21, a business graduate.

It was only the Arkansans’ second trip to Fort Gibson, even though the lake is located less than 100 miles from the campus. A strategy came together after a classic postspawn pattern of textbook scenarios fell into place.

Midway through the first competition day and with an empty livewell, the anglers stopped their boat in an area of private boat docks located near creek channels.

A pattern showed signs of life when Miller caught a 14-inch keeper after pitching a wacky-rigged, 6-inch, watermelon red Yum Dinger worm around the wooden pilings. Billingsley responded by casting a chartreuse/black XCalibur Square Lip crankbait parallel down the sides of the piers and burning the lure back to the boat.

The team went on the hunt to locate similar docks positioned near 20 feet of water. More keepers were caught, and a strategy was in place.

The ideal selection of baits proved irresistible to the finicky postspawn fish they encountered during the competition. The slow, tantalizing action of the falling worm rig and the getaway-speed retrieve of the crankbait triggered reflex strikes of bass already feeding on shad swimming in the nearby channels.

Arkansas Tech’s Jordan Mullenix and Evan Smith came in second place with an overall weight of 26 pounds. The layout of Fort Gibson’s upper reaches ideally suited the team’s competitive strengths.

“River fishing is more our style, so we focused up the river,” said Mullenix, 21, an emergency management major from Mount Ida. “We like shallow, dirty water, and we found it up there after all the rain.”

The team put those strengths into play by searching for stretches of the Grand River holding a steady current. They correctly surmised partly sunny skies would keep the fish holding tight to underwater habitat. That was found in the form of isolated stretches of rocky shorelines.

The team’s key bait during sunny conditions was an 8-inch black/blue Havoc Juice Worm rigged Texas style with a ¼-ounce sinker. Strikes came when the rig bounced into the rocky crevices as the anglers hopped the lure downstream with the current.

The effort produced a first-day limit weighing 13-3 that landed the team in 7th place. The catch was anchored by Smith’s largemouth weighing 5-10 that proved to be the biggest bass of the tournament.

A changeup was necessary on the final day after overnight rainfall made the daytime skies turn overcast. The fish abandoned the rocky habitat and dispersed to an underwater ridge to feed on shad.

The new lure of choice was a baby bass color Heddon Super Spook Junior topwater plug. Smith made long casts with the minnow imitator across the flat where the bass were breaking the surface as they fed on the shad. The effort produced a limit weighing 12-12 that moved the Arkansans into second place.

Smith scored his second Carhartt Big Bass Award of the season with the 5-10 largemouth caught at Fort Gibson. He also won the award after landing a 9-pounder at the South Super Regional held on Lake Guntersville, Ala.

The Central Super Regional is one of four qualifying events toward the Carhartt Basssmaster College Series National Championship. The championship will determine the berth reserved for the top college bass angler at the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.

The next college-level event is the Carhartt Bassmaster Midwest Super Regional, May 18-19, in La Crosse, Wis.

5/11/2012 - 5/12/2012

Central Super Regional

Fort Gibson Lake - Taylor Ferry - Wagoner, OK

STANDINGS BOATER DAY 2

Name University # Live # Fish # Live Lbs - Oz

1 Mook Miller - Kyle Billingsley Arkansas 5 5 13-14 10 10 28- 1

2 Jordan Mullenix - Evan Smith Arkansas Tech 5 5 12-13 10 10 26- 0

3 Tyler Hetzel - Austin Twite Kansas State 5 5 10- 5 10 10 24-12

4 Cory Conley - Brock Enmeier University of Central Oklahoma 5 5 10- 7 10 10 24- 7

5 Paul Muzljakovich - Tyler Nipper University of Oklahoma 5 5 14- 5 10 10 24- 5

6 Aaron Sarna - Evan Barnes Arkansas Tech 5 5 9-10 10 10 24- 3

7 Zack Birge - Blake Flurry Oklahoma State 4 4 7-10 9 9 24- 3

8 Jordan Grimm - Brian Blades Stephen F Austin State University 4 4 11- 9 9 9 24- 0

9 Wesley Bissett - Dylan Duncan Northeastern State University 5 5 12-10 10 10 23- 3

10 Cale Fulps - Cody Plunkett Northeastern State University 3 3 6- 5 8 8 21-15

11 Mack Walters - David Faulk Mississippi State University 5 5 8-12 10 10 21- 5

12 Travis Snyder - Nate Gonsoulin Oklahoma State 5 5 10- 9 10 10 20-13

13 Robert Nicka - Dustin West Northeastern State University 4 4 8- 2 9 9 19-10

14 Kenneth Anderson - Drew Porto Arkansas 3 3 7-10 8 8 19- 3

15 Trent Newman - Jacob Sepeda Dallas Baptist University 4 3 8- 7 9 8 18-11

16 Dustyn Pendergraft - Cory Sloan Oklahoma State 3 3 7- 7 8 8 18- 4

17 Jared West - Preston Whisenhunt Stephen F Austin State University 5 4 13- 1 7 6 17-14

18 Toney Lewis - Scott Sullivan Central Missouri 5 5 14- 4 6 6 17- 3

19 Chris Knotts - Jerry Sepulvado LSU Shreveport 3 3 4-15 8 8 16-15

20 Johnathan Haines - Landon Dixon Oklahoma 5 5 10- 4 7 7 14- 1

21 Brian Eaton - Nick LaDart University of Lousiana Monroe 3 3 6-13 5 5 11- 4

22 Craig Fowler - Hunter Gregory Oklahoma State 1 1 1-13 4 4 9- 0

23 Trevor Parks - Chase Edmiston Oklahoma State 2 2 4- 9 4 4 8-10

24 Jake Jacobs - Arkansas Tech 2 2 4-15 3 3 7-13

25 Cody Collins - Zac Wymer Texas A&M University 0 0 0- 0 2 2 4- 4

26 William McCabe - Luke Gillespie Nebraska 0 0 0- 0 2 2 3- 6

27 Trey Bledsoe - Dallas Baptist University 1 1 2- 8 1 1 2- 8

28 Jimmy Phillips - Northeastern State University 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0

BIG BASS

Day

1 Jordan Mullenix Russellville, AR 5-10

2 Trey Bledsoe Arlington, TX 2- 8

Day # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits

TOTALS

# Fish

1 102 102 252- 4 17

2 97 95 223- 9 12

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