But then Mother Nature stepped in – again.

“The weather has been on and off,” said Northwestern University senior Phillip Borel. “One day it will be cold and raining and the next day just raining and warm. I figure the weather has got the fish all goofed up.”

The real kicker came last week, he noted, just as the fish were starting to get the urge to move shallow.

“Last week it snowed on Wednesday. That knocked the water temperature down. The fish are just kind of shocked right now.”

Borel, who graduates in May with a degree in criminal justice and plans to stay in school two more years to complete a degree in engineers, said the Red River is not really a home water advantage for the bass team members at Northwestern, which is located in Natchitoches.

“We are right here on it, but we don’t fish it that much because Toledo bend is so close. Most of us would much rather go and fish Toledo Bend.”

With more cold rain expected this weekend, there will be no relief for the college anglers, but Borel said he has a couple of spots that he thinks will produce.

“When it warms up the fish will be in those spots. Right now they have moved off those spots so we have to find them. They may be shocked right now, but if you put a bait right in front of them they will bite.”

He and his Northwestern teammates will have a full three days to figure them out. The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series has been expanded to three-day tournaments for 2015, instead of two, B.A.S.S. announced as it revealed the 2015 College Series schedule.

“College teams competing in our series are so strong now, they can easily step up to the challenge of a three-day tournament,” said Hank Weldon, director of the college fishing program for B.A.S.S. “It’s exciting to see the level of competition increase every year.”

 

Bassmaster Carhartt College Central Conference Regional

Mar 5-7, 2015

Red River

Grand Ecore

Natchitoches, LA,

www.bassmaster.com