On the morning of Tuesday, October 10, Cordell Beckmann, Cale Jausel, Nate Overocker and Hannah Hill started the seven-hour and thirty-minute drive to Lake Dardanelle, in Arkansas, in what felt like great weather! Boy, did that change whenever they arrived. When the Bass Fishing team arrived, a storm hit the area they were staying and an actual tornado hit the ground about 40 to 50 miles away. This little weather event would foreshadow how the weekend would go for the team.
The following 4 four days would show less than favorable conditions for fishing. Waves reaching three to five feet in height, making it impossible to fish the small coves on the edge of the lake. Cold weather and rain made it unbearable for the competitors to fish but they pushed through. Out of the four days they were there, three of those days included rain in the forecast with an average temperature in the 50’s and 60’s.
Despite the weather, the four anglers fished through the tournament. Beckmann and Jausel were in one boat and Overocker and Hill were in the other. Friday was the first day of the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open sponsored by Cabela’s, and the only day it did not rain. Beckmann and Jausel caught the limit on Friday but they were mostly small fish to combine to a total of 7.75 lbs for day one. Overocker and Hill caught two fish for a combined 6 lbs for day one.
The second day seemed to bring some challenges to both boats as the rain returned and the temperature was still cold. Beckmann and Jausel caught four fish for a total of 5.45 lbs and Hill and Overocker caught a lot of small fish, on day two, but did not catch any that were big enough to be keepers so they did not weigh any fish.
Beckmann and Jausel with their weigh-in from day one. Media by Stone Road Media.
Nate Overocker and Hannah Hill with their day one weigh in. Media by Shane Campbell.
The bass fishing team has one more event with McKendree at a location yet to be determined and on a date that yet to be decided. Stay tuned for a new series with the team and results from the final event for the fall!
Cale Jausel (left ) and Nate Overocker (right). Media by Klaiton Wolff.
I am a Junior at Greenville University. I am a Sport Management and Marketing double major with a business minor. I play for the GU baseball team and I participate in the marching band. I love the St. Louis Cardinals and LA Rams.