CORNELIUS, N.C. — Luke Glasgow was in disbelief. There was no way he and Mississippi State University angling partner James Ikerd just weighed a 22 pound, 7 ounce limit to storm to the Day 1 lead of the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Lake Norman presented by Bass Pro Shops.
And there certainly was no way Glasgow had a personal-best bass in the livewell.
But the duo did, in fact, bring five hefty bass to the scales at Blythe Landing Friday afternoon, including a 7-5 largemouth that was the heaviest of the day and the heaviest ever caught by the 21-year-old engineering major.
“(Ikerd) said ‘That’s an 8- to 10-pounder,’” Glasgow recalled of the mid-afternoon catch. “I thought maybe it was 5 pounds or so. I was shaking so badly, like I’ve never done before in a fishing tournament. No matter what happens here, this place will always be special to me because of that fish.”
The heavy bag was no certainty at lunchtime when the Bulldogs team had four bass in the boat for about 8 pounds. They kept with their junk fishing strategy, though, covering as much water as they could and throwing a variety of lures.
“We had to keep plugging,” Ikerd said. “It finally paid off.”
The team’s fortunes changed when they hooked a pair of 5-pounders shortly after noon. Those upgrades provided the boost of positive energy the duo needed, and they set the tone for Glasgow’s giant later in the day.
His previous best was a 6-9 first caught on Pickwick Lake, a weight he’s matched twice since. And of course, he smashed the PB on Friday.
“We didn’t catch a single keeper yesterday in practice,” said Glasgow, who hails from Guin, Ala. “So, I never imagined we’d have this today. I know I’m talking, but I really am speechless.”
In all, 211 tandems from around the U.S. are competing on this 32,000-acre impoundment of the Catawba River. They’ll all fish again on Saturday, with nearly $9,000 in cash prizes to be awarded. The winning tandem will collect $2,601, or $1300.50 each.
Robert Gee and Chad Sentell of the University of Tennessee are in second place with a 19-3 limit, and Connor Jacob and Sam Smith of Auburn University are third with an 18-1 total. Erskine College of South Carolina holds the fourth and fifth spots – Avery Hammock and Garrett Smith with 17-15 and Jeremy Dellinger and Adam Seagle with 17-12.
The second and final day of the college derby will begin at 7:10 a.m. ET at Blythe Landing. The final weigh-in will take place beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. Coverage can be found at Bassmaster.com.
The tournament is the second of four two-day events in the Bassmaster College Series this year. The tournament is being hosted by Visit Lake Norman, Visit Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.