YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING NORTHERN CONFERENCE EVENT PRESENTED BY BASS PRO SHOPS SET FOR CHAUTAUQUA LAKE
BEMUS POINT, N.Y. (July 11, 2017) – YETI FLW College Fishing is headed to Chautauqua Lake July 22 for the second of three regular-season stops in the Northern Conference. The tournament, presented by Bass Pro Shops, will feature college fishing clubs casting for $2,000 and an invitation to compete in the 2018 College Fishing National Championship.
“I think it’s going to take 16 or 17 pounds to win this event,” said Derek Horner, a Penn State University angler who has finished in the top five – including a win last year – in each of the last two FLW College Fishing visits to Chautauqua Lake. “It’s taken a little less to win on Chautauqua Lake in recent tournaments, but I think some teams are really going to catch them this year.”
Horner said he expects there to be three dominant patterns in play during this tournament.
“The first thing that comes to mind for Chautauqua Lake is fishing docks,” said Horner. “I think we’ll see a lot of teams picking them apart with a Texas-rigged worm or a jig with a craw trailer. I also see a lot of anglers targeting staging bass along grass lines with ChatterBaits and spinnerbaits. If all else fails, you can’t go wrong with throwing a frog near lily pads.”
Horner said that the algae bloom may also dictate where anglers choose to fish.
“This time of year, bass tend to congregate where algae is thickest,” said Horner. “On the south end of the lake it tends to be thicker, but if there’s a strong south wind competitors will have to stay up north where the water is deeper. Those teams will likely focus on smallmouth that are staging near submerged rocks.”
Competitors will take off from Long Point State Park, located at 4459 Route 430 in Bemus Point, at 6:30 a.m. EDT Saturday. Weigh-in will be held at the park beginning at 2:30 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
Schools are allowed to register up until the morning of the tournament. Entries may be made either by phone or at CollegeFishing.com.
Schools currently registered to compete in the Chautauqua Lake tournament, which is hosted by the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau, include:
Bowling Green State University – Corey Miller, Perrysburg, Ohio, and Jason Bailey, Port Clinton, Ohio
Christopher Newport University – Connor Fenwick, Culpeper, Va., and Willson Baxley, Newport News, Va.
Fairmont State University – Jacob Smith, Martinsburg, W. Va., and Corey Straight, Barrackville, W. Va.
James Madison University – Blake Miles, Chesterfield, Va., and Jack Goodwyn, Powhatan, Va.
James Madison University – Daniel Jenkins, Midlothian, Va., and Xander Bradley, Vienna, Va.
Kent State University – Jordan Spiess, Bryan, Ohio, and Zachary Asher, Sunbury, Ohio
Kent State University – Tanner Ward, Coshocton, Ohio, and Alec Gabriel, New Philadelphia, Ohio
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania – Joe Tini, Archibald, Pa., and Corey Bechtel, Allentown, Pa.
Liberty University – Hunter Moore, Lynchburg, Va., and Zachary Phillips, New Hartford, Conn.
Mansfield University – Christopher Tanczos, Mansfield, Pa., and Logan Murray, Easton, Pa.
Mansfield University – Nicholas Hoffman, Dallastown, Pa., and James Grassi, Saxonburg, Pa.
Paul Smith’s College – Jon Herrman, Oneida, N.Y., and Taylor West, Lakewood, N.Y.
Pennsylvania State University – Chris Trianosky, Phoenixville, Pa., and Lou Mocniak, Washington, Pa.
Pennsylvania State University – David Contrael, Kittanning, Pa., and Lance Brosious, Sunbury, Pa.
Pennsylvania State University – Derek Horner, State College, Pa., and Maurice Hudson Jr., Broomall, Pa.
Pennsylvania State University – Tom Oranzi, West Grove, Pa., and Stephen Jesso, Plymouth, Pa.
Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg – Ryan Fox, Thornhurst, Pa., and Chad Burkholder, Palmyra, Pa.
Radford University – Joshua Greenberg, Montpelier, Va., and Adam Carter, Mechanicsville, Va.
Slippery Rock University – Cody Neal, Evans City, Pa., and Kyle Brown, Wexford, Pa.
Slippery Rock University – Evan Kretz, Allison Park, Pa., and Samuel Jenesky, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Slippery Rock University – Garrett Godlewski, Imperial, Pa., and Nathan Quince, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Slippery Rock University – Jason Frontino and Ryan Kozlowski, both of Cranberry Township, Pa.
State University of New York-Buffalo – Austin Ocwieja, Webster, Nev., and Daniel Peltier, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
University of Delaware – Brennan Chuprinko, Flanders, N.J., and Daniel Lopez, Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y.
University of Maine – Brian Volkernick, Dixfield, Maine, and Cody Rubner, Acton, Mass.
University of Southern Maine – Nick Deering and Ian Westphal, both of Portland, Maine
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – Ethan Stone, Charlottesville, Va., and Junior Roberts, Ringgold, Va.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania – Tyler Canada, West Chester, Pa., and Thomas Arena, Carlisle, Pa.
Youngstown State University – Jalen Rich, Campbell, Ohio, and Stan Miketa, New Middletown, Ohio
FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship. Additional teams will qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats.
College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit FLWFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.