National Guard FLW College Fishing Southern Conference Headed to Texas’ Sam Rayburn Reservoir
OutdoorHub 02.16.12
National Guard FLW College Fishing is headed to Sam Rayburn Reservoir Feb. 26 for the second of four stops in the Southern Conference. Forty college teams will be competing for a top award of $5,000 and a berth in the Southern Regional Championship tournament.
“I’ll make it real simple for you and give you two words,” said Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Treats pro Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas. “Rat-L-Trap and jig. That’s it. That’s all you need to know.”
Due to a prolonged drought in Texas, Sam Rayburn was extremely low for quite some time. Thanks to recent rains, conditions on the lake have improved and water levels have now risen about 6 feet making the lake safe to navigate. According to Tutt, the lake had been hard to navigate and even dangerous in some areas. Warming weather will help push the bass shallow making them easier to target.
“This is going to be a typical pre-spawn tournament,” Tutt went on to say. “FLW is hitting the lake at the perfect time of year to catch the big bass. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone caught a 9-pounder, but you will definitely see an 8-pounder caught. I think it is going to take about 25 pounds to win on Sunday. Watch out for Danny Iles of Lamar University, he is going to be tough to beat.
“Anglers should target submerged hydrilla. I would concentrate on drains, ditches and points that lead to spawning areas. There won’t be a lot of spawning bass but they will be real close.”
Anglers will take off and weigh-in at Cassels-Boykin Park in Lufkin, Texas. Takeoff is slated for 7 a.m. on Sunday and weigh-in will begin at 1 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
