The Soddy Daisy Junior High team of William Collins and Kyler Jenkins wins the Bassmaster Junior National Championship at Chickamauga Lake with 20 pounds, 9 ounces.
Photo by Tyler Bridges/B.A.S.S.
July 27, 2024
Soddy Daisy squeaks out victory at Bassmaster Junior National Championship
DAYTON, Tenn. — Despite falling one bass short of their limit on the final day, the Soddy Daisy Junior High duo of William Collins and Kyler Jenkins claimed the 2024 Bassmaster Junior National Championship title with a two-day total of 20 pounds, 9 ounces.
Collins and Jenkins, both rising freshmen, led the tournament after the first day with a three-bass limit weighing 14-4 and anchored that bag with a 6-14 largemouth. On Day 2, they landed just two bass weighing 6-5, but it was just enough to edge out the second-place Cumberland Elite Junior Anglers team of Damian Gumm and Brock Stevens.
“This means the world to me. I couldn’t have done it without having Kyler as my partner,” Collins said.
Gumm and Stevens finished with a two-day total of 20-4 followed by the Southwest Louisiana Junior Anglers team of Joseph Childers and Bray Youngblood in third with 19-8.
While Collins has been tournament fishing for a while now, Jenkins joined the team for the first time this year.
“It feels pretty good, especially since it is my first year fishing with Will and with Bassmaster,” he said. “I’m happy about it, but I know it means a whole lot to Will. He’s been doing it for a while.”
To catch their Day 1 bag, the Soddy Daisy team focused most of their efforts on stretches of hydrilla and stargrass in 7 to 10 feet of water. A ChatterBait paired with a Hog Farmer Spunk Shad trailer produced the 6-14, but they also mixed in a big worm and a drop shot.
Although Day 1 was cloudy and windy, Day 2 brought sunny and calm conditions that Collins felt hurt their grass bite. Along with the change in conditions, there was more fishing pressure and boat traffic around some of their better areas.
“It was a really slow day today,” Collins said. “It was bright and sunny today. Yesterday was a really good overcast day with a lot of wind. That made a good current and let us have the grass bite longer. At the point I had the 6-14 yesterday, it was already bright and sunny today.”
Jenkins landed a 3-pounder out of one of their best grass stretches to open the morning, but the duo struggled to generate bites the rest of the day other than non-keeper spotted bass. But with only a couple of minutes left to fish, Collins and Jenkins landed their second keeper of the day by dragging a big worm on a shellbed.
“We only had one fish in the boat at that point,” Jenkins said. “We caught that last one in the last 15 minutes. It was pretty close.”
That bass weighed just enough to keep them in the top spot.
“I’m just really proud of them,” boat captain Willie Collins said. “They fished so clean both days. I kept telling them, ‘You left it all out there. If it comes up short, I’m still really proud of you.’ They never quit. They fished down to the last minute and never gave up.”
Kerry Johnson and Mavrick Grove from the Creekwood Redhawks fishing team caught the Big Bass of the Tournament, an 8-14 largemouth.
The City of Dayton hosted the tournament.
2024 Bassmaster Junior Championship 7/26-7/27
Chickamauga Lake, Dayton TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Club/School Pts
1. William Collins – Kyler Jenkins Soddy Daisy Jr High 0
Day 1: 3 14-04 Day 2: 2 06-05 Total: 5 20-09
2. Damian Gumm – Brock Stevens Cumberland Elite Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-14 Day 2: 3 10-06 Total: 6 20-04
3. Joseph Childers – Bray Youngblood Swla Jr Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 10-06 Day 2: 3 09-02 Total: 6 19-08
4. Kipton Hall – Wyatt Parker Baldwin County Hs Juniors Fishin 0
Day 1: 3 08-13 Day 2: 3 10-10 Total: 6 19-07
5. Mitchell Boles – Nixon Melton Clay County Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 3 11-15 Total: 6 19-04
6. Tayson Stiehl – Winner Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 11-03 Day 2: 2 07-05 Total: 5 18-08
7. Sawyer Adams – Colton Talbert Gilbert Jr Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 3 09-08 Total: 6 18-04
8. Kerry Johnson – Mavrick Grove Creekwood Hs Redhawks Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 3 12-00 Total: 6 18-03
9. Lem Tate – Baylor Mccuiston Pine Grove High School 0
Day 1: 3 08-07 Day 2: 3 09-10 Total: 6 18-01
10. Drew Mcclellan – Noah Hiott Indiana Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 10-03 Day 2: 3 07-13 Total: 6 18-00
11. Carson Stevens – Wesley Osuna Franklin County Jr Bass Team – T 0
Day 1: 3 09-07 Day 2: 3 07-10 Total: 6 17-01
12. Crews Mcferrin – Karns Jr High School 0
Day 1: 3 07-03 Day 2: 3 09-13 Total: 6 17-00
13. Bo Hollen – Ari Clark Mon Valley Junior Bassmasters – 0
Day 1: 3 08-12 Day 2: 3 07-13 Total: 6 16-09
14. Jack Kennedy – Brentley West Mid Florida Youth Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 3 07-04 Total: 6 16-07
15. Caleb Terrazas – Rylan Emerson Phoenix Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 3 10-03 Total: 6 16-06
16. Grahm Singerhouse – Andres Solorzano Stillwater Junior 0
Day 1: 3 10-08 Day 2: 3 05-10 Total: 6 16-02
17. Cooper Taylor – Gage West Lowndes Jr Viking Lip Rippers 0
Day 1: 3 08-02 Day 2: 3 07-15 Total: 6 16-01
18. Parker Smith – Carson Randan Scotts Hill High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 3 07-04 Total: 6 15-10
19. Max Daniel – Carter Oufnac Parkview Baptist Jr School Bass 0
Day 1: 3 08-04 Day 2: 3 07-03 Total: 6 15-07
20. Hannah Sage – Tanner Ortega High Country Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 12-12 Day 2: 1 02-06 Total: 4 15-02
21. Bryant Atwood – Matthew Balden Vidor Pirate Jr Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 2 04-06 Day 2: 3 10-10 Total: 5 15-00
22. Liam Holze – John Price Off the Hook Jr Bassmasters – IL 0
Day 1: 3 08-08 Day 2: 3 06-07 Total: 6 14-15
23. Conner White – Drake Highsmith Junior Keystone Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 3 12-03 Total: 4 14-06
24. Conner Tate – Sawyer Knickerbocker Vermillion Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 3 09-09 Day 2: 2 04-09 Total: 5 14-02
25. Maddox Shaffer – Myles Shaffer Junior Garrett Bass Slayers 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 3 07-10 Total: 6 14-01
26. Knox White – Grayson Sanford Mt. Juliet Fishing – Juniors 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Day 2: 3 05-08 Total: 6 13-13
27. Bennett Bullard – Kei Blaylock Trader Bills 0
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 05-02 Total: 6 13-11
28. Isaiah Crockett – Eli Milam Southern WV Jr Bassmasters – WV 0
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 2 06-05 Total: 5 13-10
29. Joseph Eskew – Nathan Banach Off The Hook Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 3 07-02 Total: 6 13-10
30. Brady Almand – Jaxon Martin Tennessee Valley Jr Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 3 06-05 Total: 6 12-10
31. Lane Lewis – Grady Peterson Iowa Youth Fishing League – IA 0
Day 1: 3 10-09 Day 2: 1 01-14 Total: 4 12-07
32. Halton Howard – Garrett Westfall Arkansas Youth Anglers Junior 0
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 3 08-10 Total: 5 12-05
33. Brantley Pennington – Ethan Hill Central Arkansas Junior Bassmast 0
Day 1: 2 05-12 Day 2: 3 06-09 Total: 5 12-05
34. Larson Morgan – John Balcerzak Southlake Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 3 09-11 Day 2: 1 02-08 Total: 4 12-03
35. Tucker Burr – Logan Herbst Anoka Ramsey Jr Bassers 0
Day 1: 3 06-13 Day 2: 1 05-00 Total: 4 11-13
36. Kannon Sample – Samuel Shuford Sc Lower State Jr Bass Club 0
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 2 05-05 Total: 5 11-12
37. Fisher Williams – Blaine Chastain Bolivar Hs 0
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 1 02-15 Total: 4 11-08
38. Cash Rath – Parker Clennon Arkansas Youth Anglers Junior 0
Day 1: 3 07-11 Day 2: 2 03-07 Total: 5 11-02
39. Brady Gunkle – Quintin Bergey Junior Wildcats 0
Day 1: 1 04-09 Day 2: 3 06-09 Total: 4 11-02
40. Gage Wright – Braxton Bogdansky Sc Upper State Bass Club 0
Day 1: 1 03-15 Day 2: 3 07-01 Total: 4 11-00
41. Kort Roberts – Katera Roberts Junior Keystone Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 3 08-09 Total: 4 10-15
42. James Boquet – Landon Grabert Houma Christian Jr Bass Club 0
Day 1: 2 04-12 Day 2: 3 06-00 Total: 5 10-12
43. Blaine Davis – Bo Pearson Liberty County Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 10-11 Total: 3 10-11
44. Brody Allen – Caden Harris Hendry County Junior Bassmater 0
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 1 01-13 Total: 4 10-08
45. Asher Hart – Camden Baker Hartley’s Hawgs Piglets 0
Day 1: 2 05-05 Day 2: 3 05-02 Total: 5 10-07
46. Hudson Clark – Jackson Leath Sumner County Jr Bass Team – TN 0
Day 1: 3 08-05 Day 2: 1 02-00 Total: 4 10-05
47. Reed Crisman – Will Crisman Mecklenburg High School Junior A 0
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 1 02-02 Total: 4 10-02
48. Boston Werner – Northeast Wisconsin Bass – WI 0
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 1 02-12 Total: 4 10-00
49. Eben Bolding – Mason Carter Trhs Devildog Anglers Travelers 0
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 3 06-08 Total: 5 09-11
50. Brady Wells – Dakota Gordon Bath County Juniors 0
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 1 01-15 Total: 4 09-07
51. Holt Harmon – Memphis Howard Central Lion Fishing 0
Day 1: 3 07-01 Day 2: 1 02-04 Total: 4 09-05
52. Blake Richardson – Bentley Richardson Southern Outcast Jr 0
Day 1: 3 09-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 09-03
53. Logan Dunham – Braeden Walker Fighting Fishsticks Jr. Bass Clu 0
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 3 07-08 Total: 4 09-02
54. Greyson Harper – Garreson Currie Topeka Jr Hawgs 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 3 07-00 Total: 4 09-02
55. Hunter Beach – Austin Jefferson Fighting Fishsticks Jr. Bass Clu 0
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 2 05-05 Total: 4 09-02
56. Quinn Cancellieri – Kingston Bartley Denver Jr Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 08-15 Total: 2 08-15
57. Kenny Simonis – Peter Riker Fruitport High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-14 Day 2: 2 06-01 Total: 3 08-15
58. Carsen Sands – Owen Chittenden Grand Haven High School 0
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 2 06-02 Total: 3 08-12
59. Easton Dickens – Eli Stevens New River Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 08-11
60. Brayen Barnhill – Reed Abrams 757 Bass 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 3 06-09 Total: 4 08-09
60. Avery Schmitt – Maddox Hanson Eastern Iowa Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 3 06-09 Day 2: 1 02-00 Total: 4 08-09
62. Cole Watkins – Luke Delaney Jr. Southwest Bassmasters-Denham 0
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 1 01-09 Total: 4 08-05
63. Piers Picou – Jaxon Plaisance Central Catholic – LA 0
Day 1: 3 08-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 08-04
64. Logan Carmichael – Finn Mahoney Kawartha Hs Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 1 03-08 Total: 3 08-03
65. Dean Austin – Caleb Moore Off The Hook Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 2 03-04 Total: 4 08-01
66. Coy Cassady – Ryan Crane Wateree Anglers Club 0
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 2 04-00 Total: 4 08-00
67. Beckett Kraft – Sullivan Kraft Port City Junior Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 3 06-03 Day 2: 1 01-12 Total: 4 07-15
68. Cason Curry – Jaxon Curry Rocky Mtn Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-14 Day 2: 3 05-00 Total: 4 07-14
69. Grant Klein – Elijah Marziano New Hampshire Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 1 02-05 Total: 3 07-13
70. James Barkley – Nikolas Foster New Hampshire Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-12 Total: 3 07-12
70. Elijah Booker – Bayler Cooksey Mt. Juliet Fishing – Juniors 0
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 07-12
72. Gavin Brubaker – Hunter Haines Susquehanna Valley Jr Fishing Te 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-10 Total: 3 07-10
72. Braydon Scott – Bentley Keeter Pickett County Elementary Fishin 0
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 07-10
74. Grifinn Thomas-Hamm – Tahlen Thomas-Hamm Southside Junior Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 3 05-13 Total: 4 07-10
75. Kale Temple – Easton Kelley Hart County High School Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-09 Total: 3 07-09
76. Jake Sidney – Luke Sidney Phoenix Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 07-09 Total: 2 07-09
77. Brock Davis – Kaine Smith Bolivar Hs 0
Day 1: 1 03-14 Day 2: 2 03-11 Total: 3 07-09
78. Brayden Griffin – Willis Junior Basskats 0
Day 1: 2 07-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 07-01
79. Elijah Hart – Marlon Gammon Hartley’s Hawgs Piglets 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-11 Total: 3 06-11
80. Drake Walls – Hunter Shrader Mid Florida Youth Anglers Jr 0
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 2 04-08 Total: 3 06-11
81. Jaxon Schmidt – Brayden Savage Junior Garrett Bass Slayers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-08 Total: 2 06-08
82. Gary Allen Underwood – Jeremiah Underwood Hamblen County Anglers Juniors 0
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 1 02-01 Total: 3 06-08
83. Heston Hoffman – Samuel Holland Topeka Jr Hawgs 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-06 Total: 3 06-06
84. Jaxson Beard – Landon Vaughn Pendleton High School Fishing Te 0
Day 1: 1 03-00 Day 2: 2 03-06 Total: 3 06-06
85. Anna Brown – Coleman Moore Loudon Redskins Jr Bass Team – T 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-03 Total: 3 06-03
86. Jake Jaracy – Jack Jaracy Bass Lightning 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-15 Total: 3 05-15
86. Gunner Robbins – Drew Smith Livingston Academy Junior Bassma 0
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 05-15
88. Bryson Hannem – Jayse Ordahl Bloomington Juniors 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 2 04-01 Total: 3 05-15
89. Tyler Nelson – Saw Reynolds Bandys Fishing Team Juniors 0
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 1 01-10 Total: 3 05-14
90. Hayden Vanwinkle – Kendal Ward Rocky Mtn Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 1 01-10 Total: 3 05-11
91. Wally Peer Iv – Tanner Muzyk Bass Nation Juniors 0
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 1 03-08 Total: 2 05-11
92. Carson Beal – Tripp Bearden Abilene Wylie Junior Bass 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 1 02-04 Total: 3 05-11
93. Graham Streeter – Jackson Reed Indiana Junior Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-08 Total: 2 05-08
93. Tristan Topa – Caleb Robert Port City Junior Bass Masters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-08 Total: 2 05-08
95. Cameron Bougher – Levi White Mannford High School Bass Fishin 0
Day 1: 2 05-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 05-05
96. Olivia King – Harper Krohn D’iberville Hs Warrior Bass Nati 0
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 1 02-11 Total: 2 05-05
97. Mason Samson – Reed Orzechowski NH Junior Bassmasters – NH 0
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 1 02-09 Total: 2 05-03
98. Dixon Heflin – Toby Potts Bedford County Youth Bass Club – 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-00 Total: 2 05-00
99. Kannon Wood – Gulf Port High School 0
Day 1: 2 04-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 04-15
100. Austin Buttrick – Weston Hamrick Cleveland County Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 2 02-10 Total: 3 04-15
101. Hunter Brakefield – Landon White Mt. Juliet Fishing – Juniors 0
Day 1: 1 04-12 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 04-12
102. Tristan Stewart – DJ Johnson III Mt. Pleasant Junior Bass Team – 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 1 02-11 Total: 2 04-12
103. Brayden Marcum – Tyler Goble Cardinal Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-09 Total: 2 04-09
104. Tucker Fratz – Rowan Rikhye Junior Garrett Bass Slayers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-07 Total: 2 04-07
105. Buddy Malone – Avren Wells Topeka Jr Hawgs 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 04-07 Total: 1 04-07
106. Deacon Keefe – Brayden Blair Reeths Puffer High School Fishin 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 1 02-04 Total: 2 04-06
107. Bentley Wright – Staten Whitecotton Buckhorn Bass Fishing 0
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 1 02-03 Total: 2 04-05
108. Burke Sorenson – Braden Royse Eureka Youth Club 0
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 1 01-14 Total: 2 03-12
109. Landon Emmons – Conner Emmons Franklin County Jr Bass 0
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 03-08
110. Levi Snowball – Zachary Mcalister Cincinnati Youth Bass Club Jr 0
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 03-07
111. Brayden Jenner – Tatum Ceccorulli St. Martin Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 1 03-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 03-07
112. Eastin Gilliland – Gunnar Freeman Lone Star Jr Bassmasters – TX 0
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 1 01-10 Total: 2 03-07
113. Mackenzie Muntz – Jacob Muntz Black Swamp High School Fishing 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-01 Total: 1 03-01
114. Coleman Hampel – Landon Tatum Lumpkin County Schools 0
Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-13
115. Dylin Mizell – Bossier Parish High School Bass 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-06
115. Brantley Todd – Owen Goss Piedmont Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-06
117. Jaxon Sparks – Colby Peoples Clarks Hill Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 00-05 Total: 2 02-05
118. Harlow Bryant – Huxley Bryant Tarkington Youth Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-01
119. Johnathon Harris – Maci Golden West Greene High School 0
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 01-15
120. Kylan Martin – Ryder Ginter Montgomery County High School Ba 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
120. Walker Sawyer – Ashbi Sawyer Payette River Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-14 Total: 1 01-14
122. Ben Johnston – Sam Bucala Federation Nation Jr. Bassmaster 0
Day 1: 1 00-10 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 00-10
123. Korben Burgess – Mack Josey Cleveland County Bass Anglers 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
123. Rachel Burks – Clay County Anglers – TN 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
123. Quinn Cook – Michael Basile Off The Hook Jr. Bassmasters 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
123. Kaden Henderson – Nickolas Tinkle Arkansas Youth Anglers – AR 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
123. Hunter Hogan – Chase Hogan Avonworth Middle School 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
123. Jake Ray – Max Stewart Live Oak Jr Eagles 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
123. Oliver Williams – Corvin Katzban Eagleton Fishing Team 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 49 220 581-08
2 46 219 559-12
———————————-
95 439 1141-04