LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — There's something not quite right about 74 college students smiling and hollering at 6 a.m. (unless they are still up from the night before), but the anglers at the Day One launch of the Under Armour College Bass National Championship in Little Rock, Ark., looked like they were at a frat party.

"We had an incredible practice," said Rob Russow, teaming up with Steve Mui to form the University of Illinois team. "Steve caught the biggest fish of his life: It was an asian carp half as tall as Steve with the tail still pinched."

How about bass? Did you catch any of those?

"Oh, bass? Yeah, we might have found a couple spots," Russow said.

The variety of boats and motors launching at Murray Park were as varied as the personalities of the students piloting them. St. Ambrose University, consisting of brothers Anthony and Tim DeVolder, looked like they were on their way to a trade show. Tournament director Steve Bowman estimated that they had 40 rods set and ready to go.

"I have never seen that many rods on the deck of a boat," commented Bassmaster Television personality Tommy Sanders, who was watching the boats pull across the dock. "Honestly. Never."

All teams will fish Thursday and Friday, with a five-bass limit allowed between the two teammates. The top five teams by the end of Friday will zero their weights and start fresh for the final on Saturday. Their target? Spotted bass longer than 12 inches and largemouth bass longer than 16 inches (congruent with Arkansas state regulations for the river).

Most of the anglers estimated they would need 10 pounds a day to make it into the top five and fish the final day Saturday.

"We're just looking for a limit," Mui said. "That usually gets you pretty far in these tournaments."