Matt Arey said coming into the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville that if he could just make it to Monday, he’d have a genuine chance to win.

Even after a solid start on Friday, North Carolina pro Matt Arey sounded less than confident heading out for Saturday’s second round of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville.

More than half the field caught at least 16 pounds of bass during Friday’s opening round of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville, and 14 anglers topped the coveted 20-pound mark.

Sam Houston State University anglers Jackson Carrell and Bryton Kurtz traveled more than 1,700 miles to compete in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at St. Lawrence River presented by Bass Pro Shops.

Steady rains soaked competitors today in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at St. Lawrence River presented by Bass Pro Shops, but the foul weather hardly affected what has become a record-setting event. Logan Parks and Lucas Lindsay of Auburn (Ala.) University lead the slugfest with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 49 pounds, 2 ounces. The Tigers caught a five-bass limit Thursday that weighed 23-13, which was an outstanding compliment to the 25-5 limit they boated Wednesday.

West Virginia University’s Nolan Minor and Casey Lanier outfished nearly 300 other college anglers today in what was a slugfest day of fishing at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at St. Lawrence River presented by Bass Pro Shops.

Brandon Cobb’s “Century Club” fishing performance on Texas’ Lake Fork lured a record number of viewers to the May 26 episode of The Bassmasters TV show on ESPN2.

B.A.S.S. and Lake Guntersville have a long and continuing history dating back to 1976. That year, Rick Clunn won his first of four Bassmaster Classics, and next March, the fishery is on slate to hold the 50th edition of the Classic.

Fourteen-year-olds Andon Goins and Blake Wheat started the year fishing the Junior Bassmaster tournaments, but the Tennessee youths “graduated” to the high school series today — and won the Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Wild Card presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors by almost 4 pounds.

In an effort to inspire more youth involvement in bass fishing, B.A.S.S. has signed on as presenting sponsor of Bassin’s 2019 Big Bass Junior Championship (BBJC).

Half-way through the season, the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race is shaping up to be one of the closest and most competitive in the 50 years since Bill Dance won B.A.S.S.’s first AOY title in 1970.