Podcast: Why Today’s Student Anglers Are Tomorrow’s Bass Pros

More than 200 of these fishermen faced off in South Carolina last week to compete in the Bassmaster College National Championship 2024 on Lake Hartwell. The field of 130 two-man teams (a few fished solo) was whittled down to 12 teams on Saturday, the tournament’s third and final day, with each team competing for the heaviest combined catch of five bass. Lander University’s Garrett Smith and Andrew Blanton came from behind to take first place in that event and take home the school’s first national championship trophy.

Smith and Blanton, who both grew up within a few hours of Lake Hartwell, won the tournament by sticking to the shallower parts of the lake, particularly around the Tugaloo River. They focused on bream beds, targeted large bass that hunted in groups and — with clear skies overhead — never turned on their forward-facing sonar. The two Lander anglers stuck with this strategy, climbing from 22nd to third on the second day to make it to the finals on Sunday, when they weighed the heaviest bag of the entire event.

We sat down with Smith and Blanton for this week’s podcast episode, and they shared some of the tactics (and setbacks) behind their big win over Hartwell. We also talked about the journey these two guys have been on, what their college experience has been like, and why anyone who wants to see where this sport is headed should check out the college leagues.

Over the past few months, we’ve taken a closer look at this highly competitive world through the Bassmaster College SeriesThis spring, I covered a qualifying tournament on Kentucky Lake, where 216 two-man teams competed for a chance to fish the National Championship and work their way up the Team of the Year standings. Since then, I’ve talked to coaches, tournament organizers, and current college anglers, including pro angler John Garrett, who won his first Elite Series tournament this year after making a name for himself on the college circuit.

Garrett, by the way, isn’t the only one who’s made the leap. If you look at the Bassmaster Elite Series, widely considered the highest level of professional bass fishing, about two dozen of the 130 anglers are under the age of 30. Of those, 22 have gone on through college, and there are many more on the way.

Read more: The best bass fishing in America takes place on the college circuit

“When you talk about college fishing, you’re talking about the best young anglers in the country,” said Glenn Cale, BASS tournament manager. Outdoor living“These young men and women are the future pros we will see on TV.”

Listen to this week’s episode on Apple, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts to hear more from these two college champions who want to go pro.