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!

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.

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!

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.

It’s time for the second stop of the 2019-2020 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. This week we are in Russellville, Arkansas at Lake Dardanelle for the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. The AFTCO Open is one of the most prestigious events put on by the Association of Collegiate Anglers. 1,000 School of the Year points are on the line for the winner, and a full field of 350 anglers are prepared to put their skills to the test for two days on this great fishery.

The race for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia is top of mind for all of the teams competing this weekend. Eight of the Top 10 teams are on hand for the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. Adrian College enters the week with a decent-sized lead, and McKendree University and Murray State University linger close behind in second and third respectively. Teams are eligible to earn double points at this ACA ran event. That means schools will earn points for their highest two finishing teams inside of the Top 100 at the conclusion of the event.

Lake Dardanelle is an impoundment on the Arkansas River located near the town of Russellville. This central Arkansas fishery is known for its great year-round fishing opportunities. The fall months offer a different set of conditions and cover for these anglers to factor in. Right now, bass are keyed in on shad. Baitfish are on the move and the bass are chasing them. Taking that into account, that means the fish should be biting. A variety of moving baits and shad imitations should do the trick to land a five-fish limit.

Tune in for Day 1 coverage of the 2019 AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open!