By Andrew Canulette/BASSMASTER
SPRING CITY, Tenn. – No matter what, there will be purple in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic.
Carter McNeil and Cody Huff, who both sport the purple and gold as Bethel University teammates, advanced Wednesday to the final round of the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket here on Watts Bar Lake in eastern Tennessee.
The duo will go head-to-head Thursday in a one-day battle with a spot in next year’s Classic on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville going to the winner.
Huff, the No. 6 seed in the eight-man field, continued to impress with a five-bass limit on Wednesday that weighed 13 pounds, 14 ounces. It marked the second consecutive day he had the heaviest total, and it was more than enough to beat No. 8 Trey Schroeder of McKendree University, who caught five bass for 8-6 in the semifinal match.
McNeil, the No. 2 seed, managed only three bass that weighed 6-4, but it was enough to top No. 4 seed Conner DiMauro of Bryan College, who caught two bass weighing 3-3 total.
Fishing conditions remained difficult on Watts Bar, with Tuesday’s overcast skies giving way to bright sunshine and heat on Wednesday. The four remaining anglers in the bracket struggled for bites, with only Huff catching enough bass (seven on the day) to be able to upgrade after posting his limit.
The top four teams (eight anglers) in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, held Aug.1-3 on Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga, advanced to fish at Watts Bar.
Results from Wednesday’s semifinal matches are as follows:
No. 6 Huff, Bethel, 13-14, def. No. 8 Schroeder, McKendree, 8-6
