Elite Field Set to Compete in 20th Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops

Anderson, SC (May 19, 2025) – The 2025 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops will be the Association of Collegiate Anglers’ historic 20th National Championship.  College fishing’s longest-running National Championship, boasting a field of close to 400 elite  student anglers, will be contested at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, SC on May 22-23.  This is a no-entry-fee, nationally televised, triple points event which will feature media coverage on a variety of streaming platforms, live coverage, social media promotions and is nationally televised on several networks.

The full field of 200 teams will compete for two days in hopes of claiming the National Championship title, along with over $30,000 in prizes and contingencies, as well as triple points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

Official practice continues today, with the final day of official practice and Angler & Sponsor Banquet occurring on Wednesday.  Thursday and Friday will be official competition days, with weigh-in and takeoff happening at Green Pond Landing in Anderson, SC.  Live weigh-in will be streamed each afternoon on the ACA website.  Official weigh-in will begin at 2:00 PM (ET) on both Day 1 and Day 2.

Lake Hartwell is a vast, diverse fishery that allows anglers to fish their strengths to get plenty of bites.  2025 will mark the third time the ACA has contested a major college fishing event at Lake Hartwell.  Each time, anglers catch great quantity and quality fish.  This year, late spring/early summertime conditions are setting up at Lake Hartwell.  Recent high temperatures in the mid 80’s will work to warm the water, setting the baitfish on the move and the bass will be following them along main lake points, as well as out over deeper water. Read a complete lake preview at this link.

The total payout for the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops exceeds $30,000 in prizes and contingencies.  The no-entry-fee event will pay out the Top 40 places in the final standings, numerous exact places, and a Power-Pole to the Overall Big Bass.  View the complete prize list here.

The Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops will be the final ACA event to count towards the 2023-24 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.  School bass fishing clubs and teams will be eligible to earn triple points this week. First place will receive 2,500 points, and schools will be eligible to earn points for their three highest-finishing teams inside of the Top 150 of the final tournament standings.

23 of the Top 25 teams are registered to compete at Lake Hartwell this week.  For teams that have three high finishes, there is potential for them to earn approximately 7,000 points.   Given that the standings are stacked so tightly now, there will be an opportunity for teams to make major moves in the rankings.

The first major event on the schedule for Championship week is the ACA’s annual Angler & Sponsor Banquet.  This will take place on Wednesday afternoon at Green Pond Landing.  Anglers are required to attend the mandatory check-in and tournament rules meeting, and while there they will be able to meet with representatives from top brands in the industry, receive free swag, and have a chance to enter to win valuable prize giveaways.  Several of the promotions to take place that night include the Abu Garcia Trade-In & Trade-Up Program, free spooling station from Sunline, Garmin offering product demo rides, answering questions about products and giving away a Force Pro Trolling Motor.  Yamaha will also be on-site to meet with anglers, offer product giveaways, and promote sign ups for the Yamaha Power Pay tournament contingency program. Numerous other ACA series partners will be present, and anglers will receive plenty of awesome, free swag. The Angler & Sponsor Banquet is one of the most anticipated nights in collegiate bass fishing!

This year’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops marks the historic 20th National Championship for the Association of Collegiate Anglers.  Prior to this year, a total of 19 past Champions from 13 different schools have been crowned.  Read this article to learn about past winners of this tournament.

Live coverage for the event continues with the Live Blog through the remainder of Official Practice.  The live blog will also be active during both days of tournament competition.  As mentioned above, live weigh-in will be streamed on the ACA website both afternoons.  Also, follow along with ACA social media channels for additional coverage and content.  Follow this link to keep up with all things regarding the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.