MONROE, La. — Trapper Munn and Dustin Perkins of the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) won the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Central Regional on the Ouachita River with a two-day total of 19 pounds, 6 ounces of bass.
Munn and Perkins were able to catch only three bass weighing a total of 8-3 in the opening round Friday, leaving them in sixth place as competition began Saturday. Another ULM team, Brett Preuett and Jackson Blackett led the field of 71 collegiate fishing teams on Day 1 with a five-bass limit weighing 10-15.
Dustin Perkins and Trapper Munn of the University of Louisiana at Monroe win the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Central Regional on the Ouachita River.
Photo by Shaye Baker/Bassmaster
But Preuett and Blackett slipped to third in the final round after they were able to catch only four bass weighing 7-3, while Munn and Perkins surged to the win with a limit weighing 11-3, which earned the Nitro Bass Pro Big Bag award for the event.
Fishing in a backwater lake known as Little Moon, the ULM teammates targeted cypress trees in 8 to 10 feet of water.
“We’d pitch a Sweet Beaver right next to the trees, and they would ‘smoke it’ on the way down,” said Munn.
Familiarity with the fishery was key for Munn and Perkins. Little Moon is inaccessible by boat at normal water levels, but the two young anglers discovered they could get into the backwater hot spot this week because the Ouachita has been swelled by recent heavy rains.
“There wasn’t even a ditch to go through,” said Munn. “You just have to weave randomly through the woods. Then you pop out into a lake and run it. Then go through some more woods and then pop out into the other lake.”
For their efforts, Munn and Perkins also earned the Livingston Lures Leader Award of a $500 gift card by winning the event.
Brandon Greco and Austin Watkins of Louisiana Tech University finished second with a two-day total of 18-10. They started the day in a tie for seventh with 8-2 but rallied to within 12 ounces of the victory with a limit weighing 10-8.
The team of Clayton Godfrey and Garret Lindsey of Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas held on to take the Carhartt Big Bass award after weighing a 5-1 largemouth in the first round of fishing. The prize was a $500 Carhartt gift card.
Preuett and Blackett received a $250 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card for the Nitro Bass Pro Big Bag.
The Top 13 teams from the Central Regional will advance to fish in the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship, which will be held later this summer at a date and site to be announced next week. The ultimate prize of the College Series is an invitation to compete in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, which goes to the winner of a bracket-format fish-off involving members of the Top 4 teams in the championship.
2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Carhartt
2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Quantum, Yamaha
2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Supporting Partners: Booyah, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Motorguide, Plano, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Proud Partner: Mustang Survival
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.
