LEESBURG, Fla. – The LSUS Fishing Team placed three boats in the Top 20 in a Major League College Fishing tournament on Harris Chain of Lakes.
Ian Carter and Levi Thibodaux finished sixth with a five-fish weight of 16 pounds, 12 ounces – which was just three ounces shy of the top five and a cash prize.
The pair of Tripp Bowman and Matthew Nesbit placed 11th with 15 pounds, five ounces.
Bryce Distefano and Miles Smith’s haul weighed in at 13 pounds, six ounces and an 18th place finish.
Two other LSUS duos placed in the top 50 with Luke Batts/Bryant Martin finishing 43rd (11-01) and Hunter Hamilton/Tyler Morris placing 50th (10-14).
Carson-Newman was the only other college to place three in the top 20 (they had three in the top 15) in an event that drew 225 boats.
Louisiana fishermen felt at home on the Florida water because of its similarity to Louisiana lakes.
“The water is shallower, and that’s something we can relate to,” said LSUS fishing coach Charles Thompson. “We’re used to fishing in grass, and especially the guys from down south know how to punch through that grass.
“These guys have seen waters like this before, but really and truly, it’s a testament to how good we’re becoming.”
Three LSUS tandems will stay in Florida to fish in the Major League Fishing National Championship, which begins today on Lake Tohopekaliga, which is in the Orlando area.
Bowman/Nesbitt, Thibodaux and Chance Shelby, and William Tew/Brayden Nichols each qualified during the previous season for the MLF Championship.
The event is scheduled for three days with a field of nearly 200 pairs. The top 10 pairs will fish on the final day for a chance at the title.
“Lake Toho” is similar to the Harris Chain and Louisiana lakes in that the scenery closely resembles each other, which makes it easy for fishermen to lose their bearings.
“We’re used to that because our lakes lay out that way,” Thompson said. “Everything looks alike, there’s grass everywhere.
“It’s about finding those small changes, those small differences. You’ve got to land on the three- and four-pound fish and have that five- to seven-pound kicker, that’s going to the be difference. There’s a lot of techniques and things we use in Louisiana fishing that we can apply to Florida fishing.”
The seniors on the 2023-24 LSUS squad were Thompson’s first recruits nearly four years ago, and they form the backbone of an LSUS team that entered the winter portion of the college fishing season in 13th in the national standings.
That ranking should improve with the Harris Chain performance and a strong showing in the MLF Championship.
“We’re consistently catching fish right now, we’ve just got to find that big bite,” Thompson said. “But this is a testament to what our guys have done and what it looks like to have some senior leadership.
“We’re learning together, and the results are starting to show – we’re getting it done.”
