The Franklin College bass fishing team embarked on a trip to Arkansas to compete in the AFTCO Open on Lake Dardanelle this past weekend, placing 89th out of 284 boats entered in the competition despite going against several larger and more established programs.

The journey was filled with unexpected challenges. On the way down, the team encountered a series of unfortunate events that included blowing two tires on the highway. Despite those early setbacks, the Grizzlies finished off the trip to Lake Dardanelle and more than held their own.

The lake, spanning over 34,000 acres and stretching 62 miles, is approximately three times the size of Lake Monroe here in Indiana. The tournament had a two-day, five-fish limit, allowing anglers to catch and weigh in Kentucky spotted bass and largemouth bass.

Official practice commenced on Thursday morning, but it was relatively slow, with few fish caught. However, the second day of practice on Friday yielded better results, with anglers catching more fish. They also identified patterns that would help them prepare for the upcoming tournament.

Saturday, the first day of the tournament, was a pleasant day with a sunny sky and temperatures in the low 90s. Franklin anglers Carson Volz and Logan Oppy managed to catch their five-fish limit around noon and then upgraded their catch, calling four or five times by the end of the day. Throughout the day, they also caught several smaller fish, totaling 9.38 pounds to finish the day in 116th place.

With similar weather conditions on Sunday, Volz and Oppy managed to catch their five-fish limit by noon, but unfortunately, they were unable to upgrade their catch like they had done on the previous day. Their day two weight was 8.19 pounds, good for a two-day haul of 17.57 pounds.