ANDERSON, S.C. (Oct. 27, 2025) – The Lander University duo of Andrew Blanton of Chesnee, South Carolina, and Garrett Smith of Mount Holly, North Carolina, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Hartwell Presented by Columbia PFG Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned the Bearcats’ bass club $2,000 and a qualification into the 2026 MLF College Fishing National Championship.
Blanton said the Bearcats team focused on an area on the upper end of Anderson Island, about a mile from Green Pond Landing. Sunny skies and calm waters presented a challenging bite for the team.
“We started out on an area that we knew was good, and we caught 13½ pounds pretty quickly – by about 9:30,” Blanton said. “Then we struggled all day to cull up from there. It was a really good area, but we were having a really hard time getting the fish to bite.”
Blanton said the team focused on rocky banks in 15 to 20 feet of water with a shaky-head rig and a jig.
“At 3:30 we rolled up into an area – we had about 30 minutes until we had to check in,” Blanton said. “We knew there were some big ones in there. After about 10 minutes we caught an 8¼-pounder – a Lake Hartwell giant.”
Blanton said the kicker fish fell for the shaky head, while the jig accounted for the rest of the team’s bites.
“It was crazy the way it all happened,” Blanton said. “This tournament proved it’s a game of ups and downs.
“I was disappointed with the way our day was going. I was disappointed with our execution and that we had lost a few fish. To pull up and get a win with just one fish catch is just unbelievable. It just goes to show you that you’re never out of it,” Blanton went on to say.
The top 10 teams finished:
1st: Lander University – Andrew Blanton, Chesnee, S.C., and Garrett Smith, Mount Holly, N.C., five bass, 19-13, $2,000
2nd: Emmanuel University – Logan Fisher, Commerce, Ga., and John Micheal Ortman, Douglas, Ga., five bass, 19-3, $1,000
3rd: Emmanuel University – Stephen Brooks, Comer, Ga., and Xander Patton, Hartwell, Ga., five bass, 18-11, $700
4th: Murray State University – Mark Bixler, Murray, Ky., and Nathan Kallstrand, Naperville, Ill., five bass, 17-15, $600
5th: Lander University – Anderson Jones, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 17-14, $500
6th: Emmanuel University – Will Hart, Danielsville, Ga., and Max Heaton, Hartwell, Ga., five bass, 17-12
7th: Carson-Newman University – Hayden Barnett, Kingston, Tenn., and Hunter Owens, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 17-4
8th: Erskine College –Tallis Morrison, Royston, Ga., five bass, 16-15
9th: Lander University – Will Hammond, Huntersville, N.C., and John Such, Simpsonville, S.C., five bass, 16-13
10th: Lander University – Wyatt Gabehart, Scott Depot, W.V., and Riley Hendricks, Hurricane, W.V., five bass, 16-7
The full list of National Championship Qualifiers and complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Hartwell Presented by Columbia PFG was hosted by Visit Anderson. It was the final Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event of the 2025 season. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing National championship, Feb. 12-14, on Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina.
The 2025 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI season featured college teams from across the country competing in six regular-season open tournaments. The top 15% of teams from each regular-season tournament advance to the 2026 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship.