Greater than 200 of those fishermen confronted off in South Carolina final week to compete within the 2024 Bassmaster College National Championship on Lake Hartwell. The sphere of 130 two-man groups (a number of fished solo) was whittled right down to 12 groups by Saturday, the third and ultimate day of the match, with every workforce competing for the heaviest mixed luggage of 5 bass. Garrett Smith and Andrew Blanton of Lander College got here from behind to take first place at that occasion and convey dwelling the college’s first nationwide championship trophy.
Smith and Blanton, each of whom grew up inside a number of hours of Lake Hartwell, received the match by sticking to shallower areas of the lake, particularly across the Tugaloo River. They targeted on bream beds, focusing on huge bass that had been looking in packs, and — with clear skies overhead — by no means as soon as turned on their forward-facing sonar. The 2 Lander anglers caught with this technique and climbed from twenty second to 3rd place on the second day to make the ultimate minimize on Sunday, after they weighed the heaviest bag of the entire occasion.
We sat down with Smith and Blanton for this week’s podcast episode, they usually shared a few of the ways (and mishaps) behind their huge win on Hartwell. We additionally talked concerning the journey these two youngsters have been on, what their school expertise has been like, and why anybody who desires to see the place this sport is headed ought to try the faculty leagues.
Over the previous few months, we’ve gotten an up-close have a look at this uber-competitive world by following the Bassmaster College Series. This spring I coated a qualifying match on Kentucky Lake, the place 216 two-man groups competed for an opportunity to fish the Nationwide Championship and work their approach up within the Staff of the Yr rankings. Since then, I’ve spoken with coaches, match organizers, and present scholar anglers, together with professional angler John Garrett, who received his first Elite Sequence match this 12 months after making a reputation for himself on the faculty circuit.
Garrett isn’t the one one to efficiently make the bounce, both. If you happen to have a look at the Bassmaster Elite Sequence, which is extensively thought of the very best degree of professional bass fishing, about two dozen of the 130 anglers are beneath the age of 30. Of these, 22 got here up by means of the faculty ranks, and there are lots extra on their approach.
Learn Subsequent: The Best Bass Fishing in America Is Happening on the College Circuit
“While you speak about school fishing, you’re speaking about the very best younger fishermen within the nation,” B.A.S.S. match supervisor Glenn Cale tells Out of doors Life. “These younger women and men are the longer term execs that we’ll be watching on TV.”
Tune in to this week’s episode on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to listen to extra from these two school champs who need to go professional.