2020 AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open

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On this episode of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, we provide complete coverage of the 2020 AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. This is a two-day traditional format tournament contested on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR.

The AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open is the second event of the 2020-2021 season out on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Schools will be competing for double points in the race for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Murray State enters this event ranked number one overall, and will be sporting the yellow BUFF® headwear out on the water.

Lake Dardanelle is set up to fish really well over the next two days. The bass are pushed up shallow and feeding up in time for the winter. Tune in to see great fish-catching action from the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open!

2020 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley Part 2

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On this episode of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, we provide coverage from Day 2 of the 2020 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. An overall winner will be crowned, including an update to the standings in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

Day 2 of the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley features a total of three weigh-in sessions. Sessions 1 & 2 will pay out the Top 10, and session 3 awards the Top 20. Here are the session sponsors for Day 2:

-Session 1 presented by Abu Garcia
-Session 2 presented by Berkley
-Session 3 presented by Bass Pro Shops

Dalton Kelly from Murray State University catches the winning bass on the final day of competition when anglers were permitted to only use Berkley baits. Dalton earns $6,000+ in prizes & contingencies, as well as 1,000 points for top-ranked Murray State in the race for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

Tune in to watch exciting Day 2 coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley!

2020 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley Part 1

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On this episode of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, we provide coverage from Day 1 of the 2020 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. The event is taking place on Kentucky Lake at Paris Landing State Park in Henry County and Paris, TN.

The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley is a two-day big bass format event. Day 1 consists of four weigh-in sessions paying out the Top 10 in each two-hour period. Here are the session sponsors for Day 1:

-Session 1 presented by Wiley X
-Session 2 presented by HydroWave
-Session 3 presented by Bass Pro Shops
-Session 4 presented by Garmin

The 2020 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley is also the first double points event of the season in the chase for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Murray State enters this event in first place. The winning angler at this weekend’s event will earn 1,000 points for their respective school, and the max number of points a school can earn is 1,995.

Tune in to watch exciting Day 1 coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley!

2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops – Day 2 Part 2

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On this episode of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, we provide coverage from Day 2 of the 2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops on Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL. At the end of competition today, one team will win the Championship event and a deserving school will be crowned Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

Day 1 leaders Bailey Fain & Preston Kendrick from Bryan College had a great start here on the final day. However, they’ve been relying on an early morning topwater bite, and once the sun gets high in the sky that bite will begin to fade. The Bryan College anglers experience a roller coaster of emotions as the final day moves along. Did they manage to catch enough weight to hold off the rest of this 200 boat elite field? We will find out when the teams return to McFarland Park for the final weigh-in.

Today’s weigh-in marks the end of a long season out on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. A National Champion will be crowned, and one school will be named the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Tune in to see who will take home some of the most prestigious titles in collegiate bass fishing!

2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops – Day 2 Part 1

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On this episode of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, we provide coverage from Day 2 of the 2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops on Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL. Camera crew members will begin the day with the Top 3 teams from Day 1. Tune in to see how these elite anglers fare on the final day of competition!

Day 2 coverage begins with Bailey Fain & Preston Kendrick from Bryan College. The duo weighed in over 19 pounds on Day 1 to claim a slim lead over second place. They are finding a majority of their success on topwater baits near the take-off site at McFarland Park. Will that bite continue on Day 2, and propel Fain & Kendrick to a National Championship? Only time will tell!

Sitting in second place are Cameron Rhodes & Mark Harris from Dallas Baptist University. They too weighed in over 19 pounds of bass on the first day of tournament competition. Like the first-place team from Bryan College, Rhodes & Harris are also not fishing the traditional offshore bite on the ledges of Pickwick Lake. This team is working a variety of baits over shallow grass flats just off the main river channel. The bite was strong on Day 1, now it’s time to see how they fare on Day 2!

Tune in for coverage from the first half of Day 2 at the 2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops!

2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops – Day 1 Part 2

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On this episode of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, we continue coverage from Day 1 of the 2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops on Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL. Anglers are finding a great deal of success out on the Tennessee River during the first day of competition, and are hoping to position themselves for a run at the title. Tune in as we wrap up on-the-water coverage and return to McFarland Park for Day 1 weigh-in.

Our crews remain with Bailey Bleser & Nate Doty from #1 ranked McKendree University as they are putting together one of the better limits of fish reported here on Day 1. Later in the show, Team Tactacam member Bailey Bleser introduces us to the Tactacam Fish-i Camera. Stay tuned to learn about this new action camera, and see footage captured by members of Team Tactacam.

Prior to weigh-in, we take a look at BoatUS, the title sponsor of this event. During Championship week, BoatUS is providing all competitors with free towing services on Wilson & Pickwick Lakes. BoatUS offers membership opportunities for boaters to access these privileges year-round.

Lastly, we return to McFarland Park in Florence, AL to weigh-in some fish. Who will take charge of the Day 1 lead? Find out on this episode of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series.

2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops – Day 1 Part 1

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On this episode of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, we provide coverage from Day 1 of the 2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops on Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL. Over the course of two days of competition, anglers will be competing for $35,000 in prizes & contingencies, a National Championship trophy, and the title of Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

A bulk of the Day 1 coverage will be spent with Nate Doty & Bailey Bleser from number one ranked McKendree University. McKendree is the defending School of the Year winner, and is looking to become just the second team ever to win the title in back-to-back seasons. Nate & Bailey are on a strong offshore bite, and catch several good fish early on during the first day of competition.

Two other camera crews start with team members from both Adrian College and the University of Montevallo. Both of these programs are within striking distance of that first place spot in the School of the Year race. Each team is confident going into the first day of tournament action, but can they find the right bites to place some pressure on McKendree?

At the end of the show, we take a closer look at the host city for the Championship event, Florence, AL. The Association of Collegiate Anglers has been visiting Florence and Pickwick Lake to host premier bass fishing tournaments for going on 10 years. This quaint little town in northwest Alabama offers great shopping, dining, and recreational activities.

Tune in to find out about Florence, AL and see who can find an early bite out on Pickwick Lake during Day 1 of the 2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.

Preview to the 2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops

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The BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is the longest running college fishing national championship event in the sport. In 2020, the Association of Collegiate Anglers returns to Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL to contest this prestigious event. On this episode of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, we preview the Championship and take a look at a variety of other items tied to the ACA ran tournament trail.

To kick off the episode, let’s take a look back at the 2019-2020 season thus far. See highlights from each of the three major events this season: Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley, AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open, and Texas Lunker Challenge presented by Mossy Oak Fishing. At the end of each highlight segment, take a look at the Top 10 in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia at that point in time!

Following that brief recap, we take a look at this year’s edition of the Ranger Cup University Challenge. The latest installment features Adam Puckett & Blake Albertson from Murray State versus Carter McNeil & Cole Floyd from Bethel University. In this made-for-tv event, the teams compete in an every fish counts format event to see who can take home a check worth $2,000. Inside of this segment, find out about the Z519 from Ranger Boats!

To wrap up this episode, we make our way to McFarland Park in Florence, AL on the shores of Pickwick Lake. 200 hundred of the top fishing teams in the nation check in for the tournament and enjoy the Yamaha Angler Appreciation Event the day prior to tournament competition kicking off. We will introduce you to the Yamaha Power Pay contingency program and provide a brief breakdown of the conditions out on Pickwick Lake.

Tune in to see this preview to the 2020 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops!

Introduction to the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series

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Over the years it has been amazing to watch the growth of college bass fishing. It all started 15 years ago with the first-ever National Championship held by the Association of Collegiate Anglers. The event attracted roughly 50 boats from various parts of the country to north Texas and Lake Lewisville to fish in a two-day bass tournament. Fast forward to now, and the sport has evolved immensely.

Today a normal college event attracts 150-200 plus boats on average. Anglers drive from Michigan, Illinois, and even New Mexico to compete at these prestigious events. Now what’s on the line at these tournaments? First is bragging rights, and with the bragging rights comes a tournament payout and opportunities from contingency payouts that fill a tournament purse of $20,000-$30,000. Second are School of the Year points. The Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia is an all-encompassing program that is the measuring stick for finding out who the best school in the nation is.

On this episode of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, we take a look at our tournament trail and individual events. Find out about their major events, tournament partners, and everything they do for the student anglers!

2020 Texas Lunker Challenge presented by Mossy Oak Fishing

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The 2020 Texas Lunker Challenge presented by Mossy Oak Fishing is the first event of the season for the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Set to take place on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, the Texas Lunker Challenge is a big bass format event. Anglers will be on the search for the biggest fish they can catch in hopes of claiming their share of the $20,000 in prizes, and the opportunity to earn 1000 points towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

Year in and year out, Sam Rayburn is consistently chosen as one of the top five bass fishing lakes in all of the country. This is why the most prestigious tournament trails flock to southeast Texas to fish for the world-class bass that live there. On the Saturday prior to the college event, the Texas Team Trail hosted a 300 plus boat tournament on Sam Rayburn. A five-bass limit weighing just over 49 pounds claimed the top prize. The limit consisted of a 12 and an 11 plus pound fish, with the rest averaging nine to 10 pounds. Registration for the Texas Lunker Challenge immediately proceeded the TXTT weigh-in, so the anglers knew what this great body of water was capable of producing.

Conditions on tournament day set up perfectly for a pre-spawn slugfest. Light winds, cloudy skies, and warming temperatures were in place. Bites were easy to come by, as many of the buck bass in Sam Rayburn were pushed up shallow looking for a place to build their bed. A combination of wacky rigs, lipless crankbaits, and swimbaits produced a majority of the bites. At the conclusion of weigh-in, Matthew Dorcz from Schreiner University won with a fish weighing over eight pounds. Tune in to see all of the great coverage of the 2020 Texas Lunker Challenge presented by Mossy Oak Fishing.