TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Garrett Enders and Cody Huff of Bethel University were in the lead wire to wire to win the 2018 Bassmaster College Series National Championship this weekend, with a three-day total of 41 pounds, 6 inches. Their coaches are Garry Mason and Kenny Louden of Springville.
Enders is from Pennsylvania and Huff is from Missouri.
Enders and Huff were the only anglers to limit both of the first two days, and they did it quickly each morning, and without error.
“We hadn’t lost a fish all week; we lost four keepers today,” Huff said. “I guess you have to pay your dues.” Saturday they also sacrificed 14 flutter spoons to the docks of Tenkiller.
The first fish lost offered an indication of the lackluster luck factor ahead as it snagged a dockside obstacle. “He jumped up and actually got my jigging spoon’s hook caught on a rope holding a minnow bucket,” Huff said. “He was just hanging there and all we could do was watch him get off.”
All of their fish came on either a 5 1/2-inch Strike King Sexy Spoon or a 7/8-ounce Jewel Jigging Spoon as they targeted sunken cedars around docks with most hits happening between 15 and 20 feet.
“Most everything hit it on the way down,” Huff said. “You drop it and when it gets to 20 then you just work it back up.” One of the good fish missed Saturday followed the spoon nearly up to the boat, however. “He nailed it and dove but he came off,” he said.
In addition to taking the championship title, Enders and Huff join the Campbellsville and West Virginia teams, along with Auburn University as the Top 4 head to the 2018 College Bracket, set for Aug. 14-16 on Milford Lake out of Junction City, Kan.
A berth in the 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, set for March 15-17 on the Tennessee River hosted at Knoxville, will be on the line for the eight anglers there, who will face off in the bracket-style, catch-and-release contest.
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