Auburn domination

CONWAY — Two brothers from one school beat their archrivals for a chance to fish against each other for a berth in the Bassmaster Classic.

No scriptwriters were involved.

It all happened on the water where Matt Lee and Jordan Lee from Auburn outfished Dustin Connell and Logan Johnson from Alabama to advance to the final round of the College Series Bassmaster Classic Qualifier at Beaverfork Lake on Saturday.

The Lee brothers will fish half a day against each other today for a spot in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake in Oklahoma.

“It’s the chance of a lifetime,” said Matt Lee, 23. “This is probably as close as we’ll ever get to making the Classic for at least a long time. There are guys that devote their profession to this and never make it. We’re college kids getting a chance to do this. It’s humbling. Just humbling. It’s hard to put into words what a great opportunity this is.”

Their performances in the second round Saturday were almost identical. Jordan Lee caught 8 pounds, 2 ounces to dispatch Johnson, who caught one fish that weighed 1-3. Matt Lee caught 8-11, including a 5-7 kicker. Connell didn’t catch a fish.

“It’s surreal to have us both making it,” said Jordan Lee, 21. “We had to beat two people so far, and we both did that under pretty tough conditions out there. Either me or my brother is going to the Classic. I’m pretty excited. I don’t know what to say.”

The water surface temperature was 93 degrees. The fish didn’t present many opportunities for anyone. Connell saw Matt Lee catch his big fish. They both knew it was over at that point.

“He was 50 yards from me when I hooked that big one. I’ve never had a bass fight like that one did. I ‘skin-hooked’ her and had to chase her a hundred yards.”

He missed lipping the fish twice before he finally hoisted it aboard with his rod.

“I laid in the bottom of the boat for a minute. I knew that one was going to be tough to overcome,” Matt Lee said. “He [Connell] saw me flipping out. It had to be a dagger in the heart for him to see me catching that fish.”

Connell was physically and mentally exhausted and said he felt ill late in the day. He never quit, he added, but he said he knew at 3 p.m. that he was finished.

“It was bad,” Connell said. “It’s kind of bittersweet coming this far. They deserve it. They earned it. I was glad to have the experience. It was a lot of fun. You can’t win ’em all. Whatever.”

Fishing is a game of momentum swings, Connell said. The Lees were solid. He needed a few breaks to win, and he didn’t get them.

“I laid it all out there,” he said. “I wouldn’t change anything I did all week. I wouldn’t change anything I did today. I just can’t get them to bite when the water is so hot. You could bring Kevin VanDam out here, and he might zero. I’m not kidding. It’s tough.”

Johnson was overcome emotionally and could barely speak about a chance that may never come again.

“It’s unlike any stress you’ve ever known,” he said. “Along with the heat, the opportunity we have to go to the Classic at this age is beyond anything you’ve ever known.”

The Auburn and Alabama anglers are good friends and stayed close to each other all week. Matt Lee said it was a thrill to add some fuel to the fabled rivalry between the two schools, but he said it was more fun fishing for something of consequence against a good friend from back home.

“Connell is a ‘stick,’ ” Matt Lee said. “If you’re from Alabama, you know about Connell. We’re best friends The rivalry is really worse for people watching than it is for us. We would rather fish against them because they’re our buddies. I wish them the best. I’m glad we were in it together.”

In the first round of the fish-off, Alabama and Auburn eliminated the teams from Murray State and Oklahoma State. Johnson advanced by catching two bass weighing 5 pounds to beat Zack Birge of Oklahoma State (1/1-3). Jordan Lee caught 7-9 to eliminate Justin Graben of Murray State (4-7). Lee ensured that victory with one largemouth that weighed 4-9. Connell (3-14) eliminated Blake Flurry of Oklahoma State. Flurry was the only angler who didn’t catch a fish. Matt Lee anchored a 6-12 bag with a 4-14 largemouth to eliminate Murray State’s Vincent Campisano.

Birge, a Mayflower native, had an apparent advantage fishing familiar water. He and Flurry lived a charmed existence all week. Every break went their way, but their luck ran out Saturday.

“We didn’t do anything wrong, and we hardly lost any fish,” Birge said. “Your luck’s got to run out eventually, and today our luck ran out. It’s fishing, not catching. I could go right back out there now, and I might catch 15 pounds. Everything will be different the next round, but it’s only that one time that counts.”

This was a challenging tournament for all the anglers. They fished two known waters Wednesday and Thursday at the Arkansas River and Lake Maumelle, respectively. They fished Friday and Saturday at “mystery” lakes, Hurricane Lake in Bryant and Beaverfork. Those locations were revealed to the angler the evening before each round, so they had no time to prepare. Only Birge had ever seen Beaverfork before.