By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com
Hanson resident Kalem Tippett wasn't in familiar water when he traveled to Lake Lewisville, Texas, but that didn't stop the angler from uncovering the secret to capturing the U.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship May 28-29.
Tippett, 20, and his partner Vincent Campisano, who represented Murray State University, simply did as they would on their own turf by practicing some ledge fishing.
"That's all Kentucky Lake is pretty much," Tippett said. "We went down there looking for a ledge to fish, something like we fish here at home and ended up finding a ledge, so it was pretty much like fishing home water. It was just a point of finding where they were out."
The tactic paid dividends and the duo led all 111 competing teams after day one with five fish weighing 21.66 pounds.
Tippett, who just finished his sophomore year, said he didn't know if the lead would stick as many favored a team from the University of North Texas on its home territory.
Tippett's success continued during the tournament's second day, though the strategy did change.
"The first day, we threw crankbait pretty much all day and just lured them out," he said. "The second day, they turned off on it and we ended up having to drag Paca Craws."
Tippett, 20, and his partner Vincent Campisano, who represented Murray State University, simply did as they would on their own turf by practicing some ledge fishing.
"That's all Kentucky Lake is pretty much," Tippett said. "We went down there looking for a ledge to fish, something like we fish here at home and ended up finding a ledge, so it was pretty much like fishing home water. It was just a point of finding where they were out."
The tactic paid dividends and the duo led all 111 competing teams after day one with five fish weighing 21.66 pounds.
Tippett, who just finished his sophomore year, said he didn't know if the lead would stick as many favored a team from the University of North Texas on its home territory.
Tippett's success continued during the tournament's second day, though the strategy did change.
"The first day, we threw crankbait pretty much all day and just lured them out," he said. "The second day, they turned off on it and we ended up having to drag Paca Craws."
Tippett admitted he wasn't quite sure what caused the different movements in the bass.
"The weather was pretty much the same both days, but the shad on the second day moved deep," he said. "(The) bass just kind of hunkered in and weren't feeding the second day like they were the first, so it took a little more time to bite."
Although it was Tippett's first time fishing a tournament with Campisano, he said the teamwork proved vital to their success.
"Most of the time you can throw different baits and give two different presentations until you figure out what's going to work," Tippett said. "That was a big part of it our second day.
"We pulled back up on our ledge where our fish were. The guy on the back of the boat kept throwing the crank bait for a little while and I started dragging the Paca Craw, and once I got a bite on it, we both swapped to the Pacas. He ended up catching two more after that."
The team caught five fish for 14.5 pounds on the second day for a 36.16-pound total and held off North Texas by eight-tenths of a pound.
"We barely squeaked them out," Tippett said. "We only found one spot really that held good fish."
During the days leading up to the tournament, Tippett said he and Campisano pre-fished and searched for ledges.
"We found a spot that was kind of at the end of a spawning flat and we just dropped off and had some real good stuff on the ledge," Tippett said. "We looked for two days for ledges and we only found one that held enough fish to last for two days."
Tippett said he will also be competing this summer at the Under Armour College Bass National Championship July 9-12 on the Arkansas River.
"The weather was pretty much the same both days, but the shad on the second day moved deep," he said. "(The) bass just kind of hunkered in and weren't feeding the second day like they were the first, so it took a little more time to bite."
Although it was Tippett's first time fishing a tournament with Campisano, he said the teamwork proved vital to their success.
"Most of the time you can throw different baits and give two different presentations until you figure out what's going to work," Tippett said. "That was a big part of it our second day.
"We pulled back up on our ledge where our fish were. The guy on the back of the boat kept throwing the crank bait for a little while and I started dragging the Paca Craw, and once I got a bite on it, we both swapped to the Pacas. He ended up catching two more after that."
The team caught five fish for 14.5 pounds on the second day for a 36.16-pound total and held off North Texas by eight-tenths of a pound.
"We barely squeaked them out," Tippett said. "We only found one spot really that held good fish."
During the days leading up to the tournament, Tippett said he and Campisano pre-fished and searched for ledges.
"We found a spot that was kind of at the end of a spawning flat and we just dropped off and had some real good stuff on the ledge," Tippett said. "We looked for two days for ledges and we only found one that held enough fish to last for two days."
Tippett said he will also be competing this summer at the Under Armour College Bass National Championship July 9-12 on the Arkansas River.
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