On October 11th and 12th, the Wabash Valley College Bass Warriors hit the waters of Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas, for the ACA two-day tournament. With more than 280 teams in the field and over $20,000 in prizes and contingencies on the line, the Warriors delivered a competitive performance against one of the largest fields of the fall season.
Leading the way for WVC were Hunter Russell and Brogan Gregg, who posted a two-day total of 25.04 pounds, securing an impressive 23rd-place finish. Russell said the team felt confident going into the event after a solid practice round.
"Going into practice, we knew that the lake was fishing better than years past, but it fished better than we thought… After catching 14 pounds the first day, we really didn't know what we had left, but we were fortunate enough to bring in a limit on day two and secure a 23rd place finish."
Russell added that key baits for their success included a Strike King Hybrid Hunter crankbait and a Big Bite Baits Nekorama paired with a Jigsaw Tungsten weight.
Finishing second for the Warriors were Rhett Miller and Emmarie Bires, who brought in a two-day total of 20.83 pounds, placing 52nd overall. For Miller, the event offered a chance at redemption after a tough showing the previous year.
"Heading into Lake Dardanelle this year, I was definitely hungry for a good finish… We knew it was going to be a grind of a tournament and getting 5–7 keeper bites a day was going to be key."
Miller described a long 35-mile run to a productive creek, where slow but steady bites helped them put together limits on both days.
"We were able to pick off a 4-pounder that boosted our weight to over 12.5 pounds… Day two was tougher, but we stuck to our pattern and were very happy with a 52nd-place finish at a very tough Lake Dardanelle."
Their key baits for the week included a spinnerbait, swim jig, and a ⅛-oz Neko Rig with a morning dawn Roboworm.
The Warriors leave Lake Dardanelle with two solid finishes and momentum as they continue their fall season.
Written by: Emmarie Bires, WVC Radio/TV and Digital Media Student
