Nation Eastern Regional begins

Robert Fleshman of West Virginia was one of the 346 anglers launching Wednesday morning to begin the Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Regional presented by Magellan Outdoors. Fleshman, who at 86 could be the oldest competitor in B.A.S.S. history, is a non-boater for the Team West Virginia. He’s paired in Boat 1 with Florida’s Corey Smith. In all, 173 boats took off from the Carroll Ashmore Campbell Marine Complex in Georgetown, SC.

There’s Smith of Team Florida who was happy to be the first on the water in this three-day tournament. The team champion, which will be named Thursday, is determined by totaling the cumulative weight of the 10 boaters and 10 non-boaters from each state. The top 34 in the money line will advance to fish for individual honors on Friday, as will the top three boaters and non-boaters from each state (if they are not already within the money line.) Seventeen eastern U.S. states are represented here in coastal Carolina, as is the Canadian province of Ontario.

Loyal B.A.S.S. fans turned out in good numbers on Wednesday morning to watch the anglers launch.

There’s Brian Spencer of Pennsylvania and Tom Bateman of Team Florida. They were in Boat 2 this morning.

This woman and young child were on the docks for the start of the Eastern Regional, as well.

Boat 3 has David Morton of Georgia and Karl Kohanski of New Hampshire aboard.

Boat 4 duo Jeff Green of South Carolina and Charles Ellington of Georgia.

To honor the Canadians taking part in this tournament, O Canada was played before launch on Wednesday. There were was hardly any air movement at all this morning, and the flags mostly hung limp in the humid air. The air temperature was 80 degrees or the 6 p.m. launch and is expected to climb to 96 degrees. Humidity is near 100 percent.

Then there was the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.

Fans pause during the national anthem.

It’s go time in the Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Regional presented by Magellan Outdoors. There’s Gregory Ledwell of Maryland and and Charles Davis Virginia motoring through the check-in.

And Patrick Marton of Vermont and Gary Pope of South Carolina.

This angler has a can of adrenaline at the ready for the boat ride ahead.

Thumbs up for this angler.

And a peace sign from this eager competitor.

Every boat gets a fob during check-in. This angler reaches for his before jetting out.

James Barkley of New Hampshire and Ray Trudeau of Florida move through check-in.

There’s Brenda Mossman of Maine and Jim Keith of Florida.

This angler mugs for the camera.

Eric Johnson of Massachusetts and Scott McNeely of Georgia make their way to the morning checkpoint.

As do Luke Shrader of Team New Jersey and Tim Stanley of Team West Virginia.

This angler is looking sharp for the take-off.

Competitors in this tournament are eligible to fish Winyah Bay, the Pee Dee River Basin and the North and South Santee River basins.

Many anglers consulted on Tuesday at registration said fishing has been tough during practice. Still, they’ll scour every bit of this coastal fishery to find the biggest bass it has to offer.

This team decided to hang out at the docks until it’s number was called.

This angler has a bird’s eye view of his launch.

The launch line moved quickly, though, and B.A.S.S. fans lined the docks at the Carroll Ashmore Campbell Marine Complex to wish them well.

A competitor in the boater division steers to the start.

Determination is always key to a good showing in any B.A.S.S. event.

You can see it on many of their faces from the moment they show up at a tournament. They’re all having fun, but make no mistake — these anglers want to win.

More boats idle into the main river channel.