Association of Collegiate Anglers Announces Continued Partnership with AFTCO for 2021 Season

San Antonio, TX (January 11 , 2021) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) is proud to announce AFTCO as a returning partner for the 2021 season of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series.  As part of the continued support of collegiate fishing, AFTCO will also remain the title sponsor of the Collegiate Bass Open to be held on Lake Dardanelle in October 2021.  AFTCO will also continue its support of collegiate anglers in a variety of ways ranging from conservation initiatives, to discount programs and more at each of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series events this season, as well as in other ways.

“We are entering our fourth year in the freshwater market, but we are still a long way from graduating. We continue to learn what clothing needs anglers and college anglers specifically have on and off the water. We also want to continue to educate and team up with college anglers with our successful conservation programs including Bank Bags, Bass Bus Release Boat, GLATOS, weigh in bags, conservation grants and now support of the War on Carp. We look forward to a great 2021 with ACA and wish all the college anglers a safe and successful season,”  Matt Florentino, Marketing Director.

Family owned and operated by three generations of the Shedd family, the American Fishing Tackle Company is a market leader in shorts, performance shirts, technical woven shirts, outerwear, fleece, hats, and big game fishing tackle. AFTCO created the world’s first-ever pair of fishing shorts in 1989 when they introduced the legendary M01 Original Fishing Shorts, still the world’s most popular fishing short. In 2018, AFTCO officially entered the freshwater market bringing its award-winning products and 10% Conservation pledge.    AFTCO contributes more than 10% of company profits to fishing conservation for protecting our resources and ensuring a sustainable fishery for future generations in their 10% pledge to protect and conserve.

Conservation is a major initiative for AFTCO and the Shedd family.  Along with the 10% pledge to protect & conserve, AFTCO has a variety of other programs in place to ensure these natural resources are around for future generations to enjoy.  Those programs include the AFTCO Bass Bus Live Release Boat, and the AFTCO Bank Bag Program.  The AFTCO Bass Bus Live Release Boat travels all across the country assisting major tournament organizations in the fish care process.  AFTCO’s Bank Bag Program extends initiatives to off the water as well.  Anglers are encouraged to pick up trash from around the lake, in an effort to clean up the surrounding ecosystem and keep trash out of waterways.

“My respect and admiration continue to grow for AFTCO and their dedication to conservation and programs designed to preserve our fisheries for future generations.  Here on the College Series, those exact programs and initiatives have an immense impact on the anglers.  At each event, anglers are eager to get their hands on one of those yellow bags and begin picking up trash and debris from around the lake. We’re excited to continue our partnership with AFTCO and look forward to the upcoming season,” said Wade Middleton, Director of Association of Collegiate Anglers and President of CarecoTV.

In partnering with the ACA, AFTCO and the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series will continue to work together on the Bank Bag initiative that rewards collegiate anglers for their stewardship efforts. AFTCO’s discount program will continue throughout the 2021 season and will offer college anglers a 40% discount on all AFTCO clothing available on their website. Find out more about the AFTCO Collegiate Fishing Discount Program.

Complete details of all the collegiate discount and bonus programs can also be found on our website at the Discounts and Incentives page or by emailing college@carecotv.com.

For more information about the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, please visit www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com.

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About the Association of Collegiate Anglers
The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA), a division of CarecoTV, is a tournament organization created to facilitate growth, development, and structure within competitive collegiate bass fishing.  The ACA created the original BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Series,15 seasons ago, which has evolved into the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series and is now the longest-running collegiate bass fishing series in existence.  The ACA lineup of major college fishing events includes a variety of events nationwide that are multi-day events all of which are televised as well as covered on several digital platforms.   The ACA also provides support to dozens of schools operating regional events nationwide and owns the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, Bass Pro Shops School of Year presented by Abu Garcia Program, and associated assets.   The ACA also provides the largest amount of televised coverage of any collegiate fishing series with dedicated programming on several television networks ranging from Discovery Channel, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Pursuit Channel, World Fishing Network, as well as other regional and national networks.  For more information on the ACA or the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, visit www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com. For more information on Bass Pro Shops, visit www.BassProShops.com.  For more information on CarecoTV, visit www.CarecoTV.com.