| The 2024 MLF College Fishing National Championship was won by Braylon Eggerding and Lucas Washburn from Michigan’s Adrian College. A total of 137 college teams will be competing in the 2025 College Fishing National Championship next week on Wheeler Lake. |
DECATUR, Ala. (March 28, 2025) – Some of the best collegiate bass-fishing anglers from across the country will be visiting Decatur, Alabama, and Wheeler Lake next week, April 9-11, for the 2024 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship at Wheeler Lake Presented by Columbia PFG. Hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism, the 16th annual College Fishing National Championship will feature 137 teams of the nation’s best collegiate anglers competing for a $43,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard, an additional $10,000 and the chance to advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship and REDCREST 2026 – MLF’s most prestigious championship – to fish for top prizes of $235,000 and $300,000, respectively. “We are ecstatic to welcome the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship to Decatur and watch 137 of the best college fishing teams battle it out on Wheeler Lake for three days,” said Don Dukemineer, Director of Sports Development for Decatur Morgan County Tourism. “Through our continued outstanding partnership with Major League Fishing, we cherish the opportunity to host this event and know the excitement will be contagious for every student-athlete as they showcase their skills on one the best lakes in the country. Our goal is to make sure their experience is second to none during their time in our community, and we can’t wait to witness the action unfold and see who walks away as the 2025 National Champions!” Both members of the winning team and the runners-up at the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship where they will compete as pros for a top prize of up to $235,000. The winning team’s highest finishing team member at the Toyota Series Championship will advance to REDCREST 2025 to compete against the world’s best pros for the sport’s top prize of $300,000. Both members of the third-place team at the College Fishing National Championship will advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers for a shot at winning a $33,500 Phoenix 518 pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard. The sprawling Tennessee River fishery is known for its diversity, and according to University of North Alabama angler Carson Calvert, it’s setting up to test just about every skill in the book. “This is going to be my second national championship, and it feels pretty special with Wheeler Lake being basically just down the road,” said Calvert, who finished 58th in last year’s championship. “The Tennessee River lakes all share a lot of characteristics – current, bars, staging areas – so we’ve just been trying to dial in how Wheeler specifically is setting up.” With the event falling during the spring transition, anglers should be prepared to chase bass in all phases of the spawn. “I’m thinking we’ll see prespawn, spawning, and post-spawn fish,” Calvert said. “That’ll let guys do a little bit of everything, which makes it really interesting.” Key tactics, according to Calvert, will include skipping docks, fishing visible cover, and targeting bass in bushes if water levels are up. And yes – forward-facing sonar will definitely play a role. “We’ll for sure have a Neko rig and a Damiki rig tied on,” he added. “It’s hard to beat that setup this time of year when you’re chasing fish with forward sonar.” As for what it’ll take to win, Calvert predicts that consistent, solid bags will be key. “I think if you can average 18 or 19 pounds a day, you’ll be right there in it,” he said. “That would put you around 57 pounds over three days, which I think could win it.” With a mix of shallow and offshore bites, Wheeler Lake is primed to produce a high-stakes, high-action championship—exactly the kind of event worthy of crowning college fishing’s next national champion. Anglers will take off from Ingalls Harbor, located at 701 Market St. NW, in Decatur at 7 a.m. CT each day of competition. Weigh-ins will be held at the Harbor starting at 3 p.m. and will be livestreamed daily. Fans are welcome to attend the event or tune in to the weigh-in and follow the online coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com. The 2024 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI season featured college teams from across the country competing in nine regular-season tournaments. The top 12 percent of teams from each regular-season tournament qualified to compete in the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota , WIX Filters and YETI. For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. 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