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SEVIIN GX Series Casting Reels

Bass News

July 14, 2025

SEVIIN showcases all-new elite-level GX Series casting reels, see them in-person at ICAST 2025 Booth #2223 and in the New Product Showcase.

PARK FALLS, WIS. – When it comes to casting reels, bass and multispecies freshwater anglers prioritize castability, adjustability, smooth operation, comfort, and steadfast reliability. Two years into SEVIIN Reels’ launch, the St. Croix-owned and operated reel brand has delivered anglers all of this – plus exceptional value – in its highly successful GF and GS casting reels. The reviews from anglers are in… and they speak volumes.

“For 2026, SEVIIN’s elite-level GX Series is complete with six all-new GX Series Casting reels,” says SEVIIN Product Manager, Robert Woods. “These new aluminum GX casting reels join our premium GX Series spinning reels to give premium-performance anglers the no-compromises reels they want at a competitively favorable price.”

SEVIIN’s all-new GX Series of casting reels consists of six models in three available gear ratios – 6.6:1, 7.3:1, and 8.1:1 – with right-hand and left-hand retrieve configurations.

Woods says GX starts with a slightly narrower and shorter body wrapped around an aluminum 150-size frame. An aluminum gear-side cover plate adds to GX’s supreme durability and rigidity. “These lightweight and totally rigid structural components completely isolate GX’s aluminum drive gear and brass pinion gear,” says Woods. “That means zero flex and zero felt torque, even under the heaviest drag settings and loads. 9+1 stainless steel bearings make GX’s operation feel effortless.”

GX performance continues with SEVIIN’s strong and buttery smooth multi-stack carbon fiber/stainless-steel drag stack, delivering 13 to 21 pounds of lockdown power, depending on model.

SEVIIN’s proven, dual magnetic and centrifugal braking system works with premium Japanese spool bearings and precision spool-tensioner to deliver a dramatic range of adjustability. “Our design ensures maximum casting distance and spool control are obtained in any conditions,” Woods says. “As with our GS Series casting reels, GX’s spool-tension knob is highly adjustable and works with the reel’s magnetic cast control to fine-tune casting performance with any specific combination of lure weight, line type, and wind conditions. But GX’s centrifugal brake adds a third level of adjustment that excels at mitigating backlash at the beginning of the cast – especially when casting in intense winds or skipping or flipping.

https://a6d6b6a01fc8cc6a9e95c7f8ef5dec77.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

The centrifugal brake has a simple control dial housed beneath the cover plate – which stays attached – so there are no small parts to adjust and nothing that can fall off of the reel. The result of this three-phase casting adjustability is supreme performance in any conditions, all designed with complete simplicity and ease of use for anglers.”

Other premium, angler-friendly features on new-for-2026 GX Series casting reels include an extra-thick 95mm carbon fiber handle with integrated hook keepers, skeletonized aluminum spools with variable depths optimized by model, and sizzling GX-family aesthetics featuring elegant silver over blue and red anodized accents for a beautiful look on any rod.

SEVIIN GX Series Casting Reel Features

Lightweight & rigid one-piece 150-size aluminum frame with aluminum gear-side cover
Composite palm-side cover and front facia
Custom-designed 95-mm carbon fiber handle with integrated hook keepers and soft-touch paddle grips
9 + 1 stainless-steel bearing system with Japanese spool bearings
Variable-depth 34-mm lightweight and ported forged-aluminum spools, optimized by model
Strong multi-stack carbon fiber / stainless-steel drag system
Highly adjustable, dual magnetic / centrifugal braking system
Aluminum drive gear and brass pinion gear for maximum longevity with exceptional feel
One-year warranty backed by no-questions-asked accelerated replacement program
Designed in Park Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
Retail price $220

SEVIIN GX Series Casting Reel Models

GXC166-R – RH retrieve, 6.6:1 gear ratio (28”/turn), line cap. 150 yds/12-lb mono (110 yds/40-lb braid), 21 lbs. max drag, 7.2 oz. / Retail $220
GXC166-L – LH retrieve, 6.6:1 gear ratio (28”/turn), line cap. 150 yds/12-lb mono (110 yds/40-lb braid), 21 lbs. max drag, 7.2 oz. / Retail $220
GXC173-R – RH retrieve, 7.3:1 gear ratio (31”/turn), line cap. 135 yds/12-lb mono (105 yds/40-lb braid), 18 lbs. max drag, 7.2 oz. / Retail $220
GXC173-L – LH retrieve, 7.3:1 gear ratio (31”/turn), line cap. 135 yds/12-lb mono (105 yds/40-lb braid), 18 lbs. max drag, 7.2 oz. / Retail $220
GXC181-R – RH retrieve, 8.1:1 gear ratio (34”/turn), line cap. 105 yds/12-lb mono (95 yds/40-lb braid), 13 lbs. max drag, 7.2 oz. / Retail $220
GXC181-L – LH retrieve, 8.1:1 gear ratio (34”/turn), line cap. 105 yds/12-lb mono (95 yds/40-lb braid), 13 lbs. max drag, 7.2 oz. / Retail $220

Designed and tested for peak performance and unrelenting reliability in the one-of-a-kind SEVIIN laboratory in Park Falls, Wisconsin, new GX Series casting reels are precision-crafted to deliver bass and freshwater multispecies anglers premium, elite-level, no-compromise performance at a favorable retail price of just $220. Each one backed, of course, by SEVIIN angler service and a one-year no-questions-asked guarantee.

New SEVIIN GX Series Casting reels will be unveiled at ICAST 2025 later this month in Booth #2223 and in the Freshwater Reel category of the ICAST 2025 New Product Showcase. They’ll be available for purchase at SEVIIN dealers worldwide and online at seviinreels.com in December of 2025.

About SEVIIN Reels

Wherever and however you fish, the reel in your hand should help create better experiences. Born from St. Croix Rod’s seven decades of design and manufacturing expertise, industry-leading customer service, and unbroken private ownership by the Schluter family dating back to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to help anglers conquer every species on every piece of water on the planet. SEVIIN focuses on reels and reels only, designing and marketing products that improve the angling experience, regardless of the rods anglers choose. Seven seas, seven continents, seven days a week, SEVIIN reels are fueled by a collective love of fishing surpassed only by our passionate desire to deliver the most reliable reels on the water. The St. Croix Family of Brands includes St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, and RodGeeks.

Pennsylvania’s Kauffman Catches 25-8 to Win Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at St. Lawrence River Presented by Lew’s

Brian Carter

July 14, 2025

Pennsylvania’s Kauffman Catches 25-8 to Win Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event at St. Lawrence River Presented by Lew’s

Boater winner Josh Kauffman of Marysville, Pennsylvania, and co-angler winner John Lowell of Orwell, Vermont.

Big Bite Introduces McMoney Jig

Bass News

Brian Carter

July 13, 2025

The brand new McMoney Jig from Big Bite Baits is a testament to versatility.

Irving, TX – Designed by Big Bite pro Mike McClelland, the McMoney Jig is a true hybrid jig that performs both shallow and deep.

“A ton of my success over the years has come on a jig,” explains McClelland. “I had always wanted to design a super-versatile jig that could cover many different techniques instead of having to have a bunch of different jigs tied on. I had the head for the McMoney built in the mid-2000s, but GSM and Big Bite took serious interest in it as of late and now we’re bringing it to the masses.”

The McMoney can be used to flip, pitch, and can even be fished offshore. “I wouldn’t call it a heavy cover jig,” says McClelland. “It’s an all-purpose jig. I’ve caught them from the bushes to offshore structure.”

Available in 8 fish-catching colors and 2 sizes (½ and ⅝ oz), the McMoney Jig can be found at Baits.com or your favorite fishing retailer.

About GSM Outdoors

Few American outdoor companies enjoy a mutually respected relationship with their customers that span over five generations. GSM Outdoors is among those few! For over 70 years, the GSM family of brands has been helping passionate hunters, shooters, knife enthusiasts and anglers succeed through innovation and the manufacture of high-quality, reliable products that continue to prove themselves in the field, on the range and on the water. GSM Outdoors continues to leverage the latest technology and provide customers with the best products on the market. Tradition, heritage, and loyalty to outdoor enthusiasts of generations past and generations to come…that’s the GSM Outdoors guarantee!

Smith, Blanton claim second straight National title with overtime heroics at Cherokee Lake

Brian Carter

July 12, 2025

Smith, Blanton claim second straight National title with overtime heroics at Cherokee Lake

Garrett Smith and Andrew Blanton of Lander University have won the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Cherokee Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops with a three-day total of 43 pounds, 3 ounces.

Photo by Chase Sansom/B.A.S.S.

July 12, 2025

Smith, Blanton claim second straight National title with overtime heroics at Cherokee Lake

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — For the first time ever, overtime decided the Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. Even more history was made at Cherokee Lake when Andrew Blanton and Garrett Smith landed a 2-pound largemouth just five minutes into their sudden death fish-off with Carson Newman’s Andrew Turner and James Sumrell and became the first ever two-time College National Champions.

With a three-day total of 43 pounds, 3 ounces, plus their overtime largemouth, Blanton and Smith became the first team since the inception of the College Series to win multiple National Championships, doing so in back-to-back fashion after hoisting the trophies at Lake Hartwell in 2024.

Not only that, they join only a handful of anglers to qualify for the College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s multiple times.

“This means the world to me,” Smith said. “Last year was such an amazing experience, and we get to do it all again and it is going to be even better. We are going to enjoy this.”

Opening the tournament in sixth-place with 14-13, Blanton and Smith jumped into second-place on Day 2 with 15-12 before landing 12-10 on the final day, which included a dead-fish penalty that kept them from winning the tournament in regulation.

“We thought for sure that (penalty) cost us the tournament,” Blanton said.

Turner and Sumrell entered Championship Saturday in sixth-place, catching limits of 14-6 and 13-3 before landing 15-10 on Saturday, the biggest total of the day.

Deadlocked at 43-3 at the conclusion of weigh-in, both teams returned to the lake knowing the first team to catch a legal keeper bass would be declared the winner. Blanton and Smith’s primary areas were over 20 minutes away from takeoff at the TVA Cherokee Dam launch, so instead of wasting valuable time running, they made a very short run to the dam and found a promising rockpile using their forward-facing sonar.

“We stopped at the dam knowing they were probably going to catch one before (we made it to our best spot),” Blanton said. “Within five minutes, I saw some sitting on a perfect boulder. The first bass I threw to bit my jig.”

Once Smith netted the largemouth, which likely weighed about 2 1/2 pounds, they quickly confirmed it measured at least 15-inches before celebrating.

“It was insane,” Smith said. “The fish followed it down (perfectly). It is probably the happiest I’ve ever felt, even with everything that went on last year. It is a moment I will never forget.”

Blanton and Smith combined shallow and deep patterns to claim the victory this week. Up the river, the Lander duo targeted three stretches of banks grass located on inside channel swings during the morning hours with a True South V-Twin buzzbait paired with a Zoom Horny Toad. While there wasn’t much of it, Blanton said the baitfish in the area seemed to gravitate to those stretches of grass.

“It was always an early morning thing. After 9 o’clock it was done,” Blanton said. “We caught some flipping bushes too, but if it didn’t have the bank grass, we didn’t get a bite. When you are around good bank grass, you’ll shad flickering.”

As the day wore on, they moved back down the lake to fish isolated boulders and slate rock in 25 to 35 feet of water using a 3/4-ounce or 1/2-ounce Greenfish Tackle jig and a drop shot paired with a morning dawn Roboworm. While seemingly unimpressive in practice, those offshore areas proved to be valuable as they made several key culls in those areas each day. Shad also had to be present to generate bites.

The key to success, however, was making sure they managed their best areas correctly. Blanton and Smith did not fish their better areas on Day 2, electing to stay closer to takeoff instead, a decision that paid off with the biggest bag of the day.

“We knew this tournament would be about managing fish,” Blanton explained. “We ran up the river Day 1, but knew if we went up there the next day there would be no way to keep up on the third day. So we fished a bunch of new water on Day 2 and things fell our way.”

“We tried to fish some stuff towards the mouth of the river,” Smith said. “If we saw a pocket with bank grass, we would stop at the first little point, catch one and then move on to the next one.

“That offshore place yesterday was just perfect. Slate rock sticking up big time. You could see it on (FFS).”

On Championship Saturday, Blanton and Smith ran back up the river and managed to land four bass before switching to their offshore pattern.

“It was a lot slower up there today. The water had been dropping and we caught some shorts. We probably caught 15 or so up there, but only four keepers.”

One of those offshore areas produced a 3-pounder to fill out their limit. Then at the end of the day, they made two key culls, giving them enough to tie the Carson-Newman team and send the tournament to overtime.

While the fish-off was a disappointing result, Turner and Sumrell said they were happy just to be in position to claim the first-place prize.

“The fish-off was unreal,” Turner said. “Pretty stressful, but a fun experience. I didn’t know we had that much weight today and I didn’t expect to be that high-up the leaderboard. It was a good surprise and we are super blessed to come out with second-place.”

Going to school five minutes from the lake, Turner and Sumrell are familiar with which areas of the lake typically produce tournament wins. Those were the areas they focused their event around, with two patterns becoming the most productive. In the mornings, Turner said they started by throwing a topwater in shallow bays before moving into the middle of the creeks to target bass suspending under bait balls. Late in the day, they would move back towards the shallows and drag a jig and a big worm. A lot of their bigger bites came around wood or bank grass.

The mornings were not particularly productive for the Carson-Newman duo the first two days, but that changed in a big way on Day 3.

“We knew we had some ground to make up, so we started in an area that we knew had big bass,” Sumrell said. “We caught a 5-pounder there the first day of the tournament and caught some 3-pounders there on Day 2. We had the majority of our weight in the first hour of the tournament.”

Carson-Newman’s Jacob Berryhill and Zach Knight finished third with a three-day total of 42-12 followed by Day 2 leaders Tripp Berklinsky and Bryce Dimauro from North Alabama in fourth with 41-11 and Day 1 leaders Luke Davis and Kaden Raichel from the University of Montevallo in fifth with 39-7.

While falling short of the victory at Cherokee, Berlinsky and Dimauro won the overall Team of the Year points race with 940 points. Montevallo’s Elisha Colley and Storm Clark finished second with 925 points, John Michael Ortman and Max Heaton from Emmanuel University finished third with 917 points.

2025 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops 7/10-7/12
Cherokee Lake, Jefferson City TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3

Angler Club/School Pts

1. Garrett Smith – Andrew Blanton Lander University 250
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 15-12 Day 3: 5 12-10 Total: 15 43-03
2. Andrew Turner – James Sumrell Carson-Newman University 249
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 13-03 Day 3: 5 15-10 Total: 15 43-03
3. Jacob Berryhill – Zach Knight Carson-Newman University 248
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 5 15-00 Total: 15 42-12
4. Bryce Dimauro – Tripp Berlinsky University of North Alabama 247
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 14-15 Day 3: 4 07-14 Total: 14 41-11
5. Luke Davis – Kaden Raichel University of Montevallo 246
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 4 07-13 Day 3: 4 12-03 Total: 13 39-07
6. Skyler Stevens – Grant McCraney Faulkner University 245
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 14-04 Day 3: 3 09-08 Total: 13 38-04
7. Dayne Kobriger – Camden Kozikoski Drury University 244
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 14-04 Day 3: 5 11-11 Total: 15 37-06
8. Brody Robison – Peyton Sorrow University of Montevallo 243
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 13-15 Day 3: 5 10-09 Total: 15 36-04
9. Phillip Herring – Parker O’Bryan University of Montevallo 242
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 12-10 Day 3: 2 06-15 Total: 12 35-14
10. Easton Drennon – Chase McCarter Carson-Newman University 241
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 14-11 Day 3: 2 06-00 Total: 12 33-01
11. Luke Wenger – Braxon Hightower Dallas Baptist University 240
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 13-01 Day 3: 3 06-09 Total: 13 32-14
12. Zach Wolfe – Brayden Ruckman Carson-Newman University 239
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 12-04 Day 3: 0 00-00 Total: 10 25-09
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 70 566 1378-12
2 57 490 1176-12
3 5 43 114-09
———————————-
132 1099 2670-01

Luckey get his 1st Win on the James River with 18.10 lbs

Brian Carter

July 12, 2025

Luckey get his 1st Win on the James River with 18.10 lbs

The James River was not kind today to a lot of the top local anglers fishing the MLF/BFL Piedmont division event. But it was cool to get to see two first-time winners get the win today. We hope you enjoy all the interviews below.

CLICK TO SEE RESULTS

Drew Cook Claims First NPFL Shield with Finale Friday Victory

Brian Carter

July 11, 2025

Drew Cook Claims First NPFL Shield with Finale Friday Victory

Cook delivered a commanding wire-to-wire performance, taking the lead early and never letting go.

Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons

It took three days and nearly 700 miles of running, but Drew Cook conquered the mighty St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, going wire to wire to earn his first NPFL victory and a cool $100,000.

With three calm and sunny days—something rare this spring and summer in New York—the NPFL arrived in Massena at the perfect time, and the anglers capitalized on it. Many chose to make the long run to the mouth of the lake, with some venturing into Ontario, setting new records in the process.

Running nearly the furthest and fishing a different area each day to stay on fresh fish, Drew Cook’s three-day total of 77-6 gave him a 2-11 margin of victory. In second place, Kyle Welcher fought to maintain his Progressive Angler of the Year lead. He spent the first two days in third place before moving up to second today, extending his lead from 5 to 7 points, unofficially, over Patrick Walters, who dropped to fourth. Andrew Upshaw capped off his event with his biggest bag on the final day, finishing in third.

South Carolina angler Patrick Walters finished in fourth with 71-13 and Alabama pro Justin Atkins finished fifth with 71-3.

Both Drew Cook and Jesse Wise shared the big bass honors, each landing a massive 6-pound, 10-ounce smallmouth on day two.

Cook Goes Wire-to-Wire

Committing to Lake Ontario and the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, Georgia pro Drew Cook earned his first NPFL victory with a three-day total of 77-6. He took the Day 1 lead with 27-2, the biggest bag of the tournament, and when most struggled to catch big bags on Day 2, he added 25-8 and extended his lead.

On the final day, Cook returned to the big lake and fished another new area, but it took a bit of time to get going. Once he settled around lunchtime, he got into a “newish” area and started catching fish.

“Today was a grind,” he said. “I had a few good fish, but I had to really keep moving to find bigger ones than the high 3s, low 4-pounders I was around. I fished different areas each day, but today I fished a new area I hadn’t been to yet, and caught three of my weigh fish from it.”

A key factor was the amount of water he had to work with. Being efficient in practice, he quickly got clued in on the types of areas that would produce. The spot where he caught his key fish on Finale Friday was a new one, and at a time where he was starting to second guess himself.

“I say ‘new’, but I saw it on the map in practice and knew it was going to be good,” he added. “It looked like the same type of stuff, and I opted not to fish it in practice. When I got in there today, it saved me. Fishing new areas every day really allowed me to catch everything I could every day without having to worry about saving anything.”

On Day 2, while on Live Coverage, Cook spotted a big fish over 40 yards away and made a long cast. The fish, which he had seen in practice but opted not to catch, ended up being the biggest bass of the event, and came with a special surprise.

“My Leopold Sunglasses were awesome this week, and the trolling motor batteries,” he said on stage before weighing his fish. “That big one on Day 2 was a tagged fish, and I saw it in practice. It was almost a 7-pounder – it was super cool. I could see the tag from that far away.”

Overall, he kept it low key: spreading out and focusing on fish that were either spawning or hanging out on the rocks.

“I kept it simple and focused on fish that I could see up in the rocks,” he said. “I also have to thank Dobyns Rods and Sunline. I kept the big ones hooked and got them in the boat.”

Kyle Welcher Battles to Second Place and Extends AOY Lead

With 24-13 on Day 1 and 24-3 on Day 2, Alabama angler Kyle Welcher saved the best for last, adding 24-14 to the scales on Finale Friday. His three-day total of 74-11 moved him from third to second place – increasing his AOY margin.

Coming into the event, Welcher held a tight lead over Patrick Walters and Greg Hackney but knew he could easily lose ground in New York. Playing it safe wasn’t an option, so he made the long run toward Lake Ontario, executing perfectly for three straight days.

“Coming in, I knew with how much experience those guys (Walters/Hackney) had here that there was no way I could play it safe and not make the long run,” he said. “I knew I likely needed a top five or top ten to stay where I was, and I was right. Those guys caught them extremely well, and I needed all that I caught to keep things interesting heading back to Alabama for the final event.”

Like the others, Welcher focused his efforts shallow, looking for smallmouth cruising or spawning. Staying with that “key” type of area allowed him to move around and use his eyes to locate better-than-average bass.

“You know, I really just looked for places on Humminbird LakeMaster where they may want to be either spawning or post-spawn,” he added. “I worked through casting around a bladed jig until I got bit or saw one with my eyes, and then I would slow down and pitch a dropshot at them. It was a pretty simple deal.”

Upshaw Moves to Third

Texas angler Andrew Upshaw waited until the very end of Finale Friday to catch his biggest fish, a 6-5 smallmouth with 30 minutes left. That last-minute catch gave him his biggest bag of the week, 24-14, and moved him into third place. He started strong on Day 1 with 24-8, followed by 23-5 on Day 2, kicking off a solid week of fishing.

Coming into the event, Upshaw was set against running to Lake Ontario, preferring to fish in the St. Lawrence River, where he had two solid days of practice. On the final day of practice, with the wind laying down, he ventured to the Duck Islands area, which changed his entire event.

“I had no plans of even going there, but I found 25 pounds of fish on beds out there,” he said. “I pondered the idea and decided to go. I caught a solid weight on Day 1, and then Day 2, I fished in the river, but the bite was super weird.”

Scrapping the river, he returned to the Duck area and added another 23-5 to his livewells. On Finale Friday, he made the long run again, sticking with his one-two punch of a Strike King Baby Z-Too and a Strike King Ned Ocho.

“I got down there and caught a decent bag, just looking over the last two days at new water,” he said. “I never really practiced there, but they were easy to catch, so I kept going back. On the way back, with a half hour left, I stopped at a river spot and caught that 6-5. It really was a perfect ending to the week.”

Top Ten:
Drew Cook 77-6
Kyle Welcher 74-11
Andrew Upshaw 72-11
Patrick Walters 71-13
Justin Adkins 71-3
Scott Canterbury 69-10
Jason Christie 69-8
KJ Queen 69-3
Corey Casey 69-1
Cole Harris 69-0

FINAL LEADERBOARD

Key offshore bites carry Dimauro, Berlinsky to Day 2 lead at Cherokee Lake

Brian Carter

July 11, 2025

Key offshore bites carry Dimauro, Berlinsky to Day 2 lead at Cherokee Lake

Bryce Dimauro and Tripp Berlinsky of the University of North Alabama have taken the lead on Day 2 of the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Cherokee Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops with a total of 33 pounds, 13 ounces.

Photo by Solomon Glenn/B.A.S.S.

July 11, 2025

Key offshore bites carry Dimauro, Berlinsky to Day 2 lead at Cherokee Lake

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Bryce Dimauro and Tripp Berlinsky dialed in their offshore game plan just enough to take the Day 2 lead at the Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Cherokee Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops with a two-day total of 33 pounds, 13 ounces.

The University of North Alabama duo opened the tournament in second place with a five-bass limit of largemouth weighing 18-14. Although the same quality didn’t show up today, the sophomores landed 14-15 and find themselves with a 3-4 advantage over reigning champions Garrett Smith and Andrew Blanton from Lander University heading into the final day.

In 2020, Dimauro watched his brother hoist the College Series trophy at the Harris Chain of Lakes and now could add another trophy to the family trophy case.

“It would really mean the world to me (to win). We had a chance last year and didn’t make it happen,” he said. “Connor made the Bracket twice and won a National Championship. It is kind of in my blood to do it so hopefully we make it happen.”

Not only are they in position to win the National Championship, but Dimauro and Berlinsky could potentially win the overall Team of the Year race. They entered this tournament in sixth-place just 38 points out of first place and are the only team who started this event in the Top 10 in points to qualify for Championship Saturday.

“We finished second in our division,” Berlinsky said. “To win Team of the Year, that would be pretty cool. We didn’t think it would be possible. There was a sliver of hope that we could but haven’t thought about it the past two days. When (tournament director) Glenn Cale said something on stage, it opened my eyes up to it.”

While they fished the bank and offshore areas on Day 1, Berklinsky said the offshore bite was considerably better on Friday and he expects he and his partner will remain offshore for the rest of the tournament. Their best bites have come up the lake in 10 to 20 feet of water using five different baits.

“We dialed in what the bass really wanted yesterday, and we stuck to that today and kept it simple,” Berlinsky said.

By looking at their forward-facing sonar, Dimauro has noticed the majority of the bass in their primary spots are glued to hard bottom and rock. There are plenty of shad around, however, and occasionally those bass will rise off the bottom to chase those shad.

After weighing in only largemouth the first day, the duo brought a smallmouth to the scales on Friday along with four more green fish.

“It was a 19-incher,” Dimauro said. “It was a big help.”

It was a slow start to the morning for the UNA duo, who found boats in two of their best areas to start the morning. With just one bass in the livewell at 11 a.m., Dimauro and Berlinsky were able to pull into one of those spots, a drop off close to the main river current, landed a limit and culled twice before the end of the day.

“It wasn’t necessarily a great day,” Dimauro said. “We just had to put (something) together.”

Smith and Blanton, meanwhile, are looking to win their second-straight National Championship, something that has yet to be done since the inception of the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops. The 2024 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s competitors opened the tournament in sixth-place with a 14-13 limit before landing 15-12 on Day 2, the heaviest bag of the day.

The Lander duo has been moving between shallow and offshore areas throughout the tournament. A buzzbait and a jig have produced quality bites up shallow around a specific type of cover with baitfish around it. That same flipping jig has produced key offshore bites on rock in 25 to 35 feet of water, including several in the waning moments of Day 2.

“We’ve kept it really simple,” Smith said. “It has been about finding the bass that are biting. When you get around them and they are biting, especially shallow, it’s insane. They’ll blow up on the bait when it is skipping in if they are there.”

Smith and Blanton have been fishing up the river most of the tournament, and Day 1 the shallow bite lasted until 11 a.m. The Lander team caught an 11-pound limit in the first 45 minutes on Friday, but with so many other boats fishing the same areas, they did not catch anything else until the final 45 minutes when they pulled up on an offshore spot they found in practice.

“We hadn’t even caught a bass there, and we pulled up and I caught a 3-pound smallmouth,” Blanton said. “(At that point) we were hopeful we had done enough to make the Top 12. We didn’t expect to catch much more, but we sat there for 10 more minutes and boated three more, two of which were over 3 pounds. That was huge.”

Catching bags of 16-5 and 12-10, Phillip Herring and Parker O’Bryan from the University of Montevallo are third with a total of 28-15. On Day 1, Herring and O’Bryan did the majority of their damage in the same area as Day 1 leaders Luke Davis and Kaden Raichel. On Day 2, both Montevallo teams returned to the area and struggled most of the morning.

“Where we caught every single fish on Day 1, we didn’t get a bite today. Our teammates only caught one,” O’Bryan said. “We realized everything was dead, so we started running around and found a current hole that was holding some good smallmouth. We caught two 3-pounders there, which gave us some confidence.”

Towards the end of the day, Herring and O’Bryan landed their final two keepers in the same pocket, lifting them into Championship Saturday.

Emmanuel University’s Levi Seagraves and Scooter Ligon Jr. claimed the Big Bass of the Day with a 3-7 bass, but Cole Hadlock and Jackson Kulijof of Murray State University officially hold Big Bass of the Tournament honors with their 4-3 largemouth from Day 1.

The Top 12 anglers will launch from TVA Cherokee Dam beginning at 6 a.m. and return for weigh-in at 2 p.m. The winning team will earn a spot in the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s. The final Bracket spot will be awarded to the overall Team of the Year, which will be announced during weigh-in on Saturday.

2025 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops 7/10-7/12
Cherokee Lake, Jefferson City TN.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2

Angler Club/School Pts

1. Bryce Dimauro – Tripp Berlinsky University of North Alabama 250
Day 1: 5 18-14 Day 2: 5 14-15 Total: 10 33-13
2. Garrett Smith – Andrew Blanton Lander University 249
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 15-12 Total: 10 30-09
3. Phillip Herring – Parker O’Bryan University of Montevallo 248
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 12-10 Total: 10 28-15
4. Skyler Stevens – Grant McCraney Faulkner University 247
Day 1: 5 14-08 Day 2: 5 14-04 Total: 10 28-12
5. Jacob Berryhill – Zach Knight Carson-Newman University 246
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 13-09 Total: 10 27-12
6. Andrew Turner – James Sumrell Carson-Newman University 245
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 13-03 Total: 10 27-09
7. Luke Davis – Kaden Raichel University of Montevallo 244
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 4 07-13 Total: 9 27-04
8. Easton Drennon – Chase McCarter Carson-Newman University 243
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 14-11 Total: 10 27-01
9. Luke Wenger – Braxon Hightower Dallas Baptist University 242
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 13-01 Total: 10 26-05
10. Dayne Kobriger – Camden Kozikoski Drury University 241
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 14-04 Total: 10 25-11
11. Brody Robison – Peyton Sorrow University of Montevallo 240
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 13-15 Total: 10 25-11
12. Zach Wolfe – Brayden Ruckman Carson-Newman University 239
Day 1: 5 13-05 Day 2: 5 12-04 Total: 10 25-09
13. Dalton DeFelice – Evan Ludlow University of Montevallo 238
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 12-13 Total: 10 25-09
14. Alex Wood – Joe Williams Missouri State University 237
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 13-13 Total: 10 25-08
15. Jacob Swanson – Matt Boerboom University of Montevallo 236
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 11-14 Total: 10 25-07
16. Evan Newell – Dylan May Carson-Newman University 235
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 12-05 Total: 10 25-07
17. Bryson Dotson – Hayden Peck Tennessee Wesleyan University 234
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 13-12 Total: 10 25-06
18. Robert Miller – Levi Bolton Emmanuel College 233
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 12-04 Total: 10 25-05
19. Cameron Dials – Ethan Burnette Kentucky Christian University 232
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 11-07 Total: 10 25-00
20. Brayden Batchelor – Georgia Southern University 231
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 4 10-12 Total: 9 24-15
21. Hunter Keller – Wes Smith II Catawba Valley Community College 230
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-12 Total: 10 24-13
22. Brett Mouw – Asa Putnam University of Montevallo 229
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 12-01 Total: 10 24-11
23. Carson Owen – Dylan Reed Murray State College 228
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 12-00 Total: 10 24-08
24. Elisha Colley – Storm Clark University of Montevallo 227
Day 1: 4 10-01 Day 2: 5 14-01 Total: 9 24-02
25. Brendin Simich – Benjamin Travis Auburn University 226
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 4 07-11 Total: 9 24-01
26. Chase Wodzinski – Kaden Buchmann Lander University 225
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 23-13
27. Hunter Hamilton – Tyler Morris LSU – Shreveport 224
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 5 11-00 Total: 10 23-09
28. Chris Baker – Elijah Kelley Kentucky Christian University 223
Day 1: 5 11-00 Day 2: 5 12-09 Total: 10 23-09
29. Peyton Harris – Dalton Head University of Montevallo 222
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 11-14 Total: 10 23-05
30. Lucas Washburn – Braylon Eggerding Adrian College 221
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 10 22-14
31. Carty Shoen – Tyler Swan Auburn University 220
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 5 11-15 Total: 10 22-14
32. Ethan Elliott – Bryce Mcdonald University of Pikeville 219
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 5 11-04 Total: 10 22-12
33. Brady Metzger – Mason Bohland Purdue University 218
Day 1: 4 09-14 Day 2: 5 12-12 Total: 9 22-10
34. Harrison Terry – Jordan Hampton Bethel University 217
Day 1: 5 10-06 Day 2: 5 12-04 Total: 10 22-10
35. Cameron Yates – Harrison McCall Lander University 216
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 4 09-05 Total: 9 22-07
36. Clayton Ellis – Chandler Howell Blue Mountain Christian Universi 215
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 5 12-09 Total: 10 22-05
37. Angelo Malek – Parker Welch McKendree University 214
Day 1: 4 10-06 Day 2: 5 11-15 Total: 9 22-05
38. Caleb Bridges – Jonathan Fann Middle Tennessee State Universit 213
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 4 10-10 Total: 9 22-05
39. Gage King – Banks Shaw University of North Alabama 212
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 10 22-05
40. Michael Canonica – Seth Proctor University of Tennessee 211
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 3 07-11 Total: 8 22-02
41. John Michael Ortman – Max Heaton Emmanuel College 210
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 11-05 Total: 10 22-01
42. Riley Faulkner – Szymon Piton Carson-Newman University 209
Day 1: 5 10-09 Day 2: 5 11-04 Total: 10 21-13
43. TJ Edwards Jr – Sawyer Brady Blue Mountain Christian Universi 208
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 3 07-08 Total: 8 21-10
44. Braden Cox – Cameron Smith Ohio State University 207
Day 1: 4 10-09 Day 2: 4 11-00 Total: 8 21-09
45. Jackson Paden – Mason Thompson University of Tennessee 206
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 5 12-06 Total: 9 21-06
46. Nick Dumke – Connor Bell University of Montevallo 205
Day 1: 2 06-15 Day 2: 5 14-05 Total: 7 21-04
47. Dillon Robertshaw – Jake Mantovani Missouri State University 204
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 4 10-03 Total: 9 21-04
48. Jake Peck – Luke Wyle Auburn University 203
Day 1: 4 07-12 Day 2: 5 13-06 Total: 9 21-02
49. Blake Wheat – Zach Helton Carson-Newman University 202
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 3 08-06 Total: 8 21-02
50. Triston Richardson – Johnny Hudson Jr LSU – Shreveport 201
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 5 12-09 Total: 8 21-02
51. James Dubose – Daylon Milam University of Montevallo 200
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 3 07-15 Total: 8 21-00
52. Brayden Mercer – Corey Morris East Texas Baptist University 199
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 5 11-15 Total: 9 20-15
53. Cole Divin – Grant Gale Tarleton State University 198
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 09-10 Total: 10 20-14
54. Carter Nutt – Dylan Nutt University of North Alabama 197
Day 1: 5 09-12 Day 2: 5 11-02 Total: 10 20-14
55. Carson Winn – Ethan Tedder University of North Alabama 196
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 5 09-01 Total: 10 20-13
56. Adrian Urso – Corbin Templon Murray State University 195
Day 1: 5 13-07 Day 2: 3 07-05 Total: 8 20-12
57. Paxton Giem – Nick Seitz Adrian College 194
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 3 07-07 Total: 8 20-10
58. Noah Trant – Evan Howe Northwestern State University 193
Day 1: 5 10-05 Day 2: 5 10-05 Total: 10 20-10
59. Nathan Reynolds – Jake Brown University of North Alabama 192
Day 1: 4 09-03 Day 2: 5 11-04 Total: 9 20-07
60. Hunter Brewer – Fisher Heard University of North Alabama 191
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 3 08-08 Total: 8 20-06
61. Brock Blazier – Colby Joseph Campbellsville University 190
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 4 09-08 Total: 9 20-05
62. Jeff Giffen – Cooper Gilroy University of Alabama 189
Day 1: 4 09-07 Day 2: 5 10-11 Total: 9 20-02
63. Cole Moulton – Jared Hubbard Lander University 188
Day 1: 3 08-11 Day 2: 5 11-03 Total: 8 19-14
64. Noah Belt – Micah Belt Southeastern Oklahoma University 187
Day 1: 4 09-03 Day 2: 5 10-08 Total: 9 19-11
65. Cole McNeely – Cole Martin University of Montevallo 186
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 4 09-15 Total: 9 19-10
66. Dalton Phelps – Peyton Rose Wabash Valley College 185
Day 1: 4 09-00 Day 2: 4 10-09 Total: 8 19-09
67. Joe Lutz – Jake Monti UNC – Charlotte 184
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 3 06-06 Total: 8 19-08
68. Trey Marco – Jake Rowlands King University 183
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 3 07-03 Total: 8 19-06
69. Hunter Barrow – Kanton Trull Catawba Valley Community College 182
Day 1: 5 11-15 Day 2: 3 07-07 Total: 8 19-06
70. Matthew Qualich – Liam Bonnett McKendree University 181
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 5 12-14 Total: 8 19-02
71. Riley Nuessle – Garrett Cromer University of Montevallo 180
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 4 10-08 Total: 7 18-14
72. Brett Hill – Brayden Hoehn Campbellsville University 179
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 3 07-09 Total: 8 18-12
73. Caleb Dugger – Kolby Gambrel King University 178
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 4 08-14 Total: 9 18-08
74. Jerry Brumbaugh Jr. – Quade Lobo Adrian College 177
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 3 06-10 Total: 8 18-05
75. Garrett Sullivan – Hayes Pate Faulkner University 176
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 2 06-15 Total: 7 18-03
76. Carter Doren – Ryan Lachniet Campbellsville University 175
Day 1: 4 09-07 Day 2: 3 08-10 Total: 7 18-01
77. Cole Taylor – Clay Taylor Lander University 174
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 3 07-13 Total: 8 18-00
78. Peyton Bryant – Brezlyn Hightower Murray State College 173
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 5 10-15 Total: 8 17-15
79. Cody Abbott – Trenton Carey Lander University 172
Day 1: 3 07-09 Day 2: 4 10-02 Total: 7 17-11
80. Michael Gammons – Colby Elliott Emmanuel College 171
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 2 04-14 Total: 7 17-09
81. Levi Seagraves – Scooter Ligon Jr Emmanuel College 170
Day 1: 5 14-01 Day 2: 1 03-07 Total: 6 17-08
82. Syler Prince – Parker Stalvey St Johns River State College 169
Day 1: 3 08-09 Day 2: 3 08-15 Total: 6 17-08
83. Hunter King – Calup Williams Blue Mountain Christian Universi 168
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 17-05
84. Turner Hart – Bryan College 167
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 5 11-00 Total: 8 17-02
85. Carson Belville – Connor Hall McKendree University 166
Day 1: 3 07-15 Day 2: 4 08-14 Total: 7 16-13
86. Tyler Chmelar – Kase Kramer Tarleton State University 165
Day 1: 4 09-08 Day 2: 3 07-03 Total: 7 16-11
87. Brennan Berglund – Colton White University of Montevallo 164
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 5 12-02 Total: 7 16-10
88. Tucker McCoy – Skipper Stallings University of Montevallo 163
Day 1: 2 04-14 Day 2: 5 11-09 Total: 7 16-07
89. Colton Boelkes – Joshua Hayes University of North Alabama 162
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 2 05-08 Total: 7 16-05
90. Hampton Shull – Landon Surrett Lander University 161
Day 1: 3 08-06 Day 2: 4 07-12 Total: 7 16-02
91. Luke Rokavec – Braden Fairbanks Campbellsville University 160
Day 1: 4 08-05 Day 2: 3 07-10 Total: 7 15-15
92. Connor Green – Peter West Faulkner University 159
Day 1: 2 03-14 Day 2: 5 11-15 Total: 7 15-13
93. Joe Vaulton – Clay Bales Carson-Newman University 158
Day 1: 4 08-14 Day 2: 2 06-06 Total: 6 15-04
94. Corban Chenevey – Garrett Christy Catawba Valley Community College 157
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 4 07-14 Total: 7 15-02
95. Allen Powe – Jonathan Combs Campbellsville University 156
Day 1: 4 07-09 Day 2: 4 07-09 Total: 8 15-02
96. Brett Jolley Jr. – Carson Stevens East Texas Baptist University 155
Day 1: 4 07-13 Day 2: 3 06-13 Total: 7 14-10
97. Evan Sutton – Jaxson Freeman McKendree University 154
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 2 04-00 Total: 7 13-15
98. Brock Vogel – Kyle Zainitzer University of North Alabama 153
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 5 11-13 Total: 6 13-14
99. Carson Hoots – Dylan Kelly Texas A&M University 152
Day 1: 1 03-03 Day 2: 4 10-11 Total: 5 13-14
100. Preston Kolisek – Smith McGregor University of North Alabama 151
Day 1: 2 04-07 Day 2: 4 09-03 Total: 6 13-10
101. Kai Barnett – Kyle Hopping McKendree University 150
Day 1: 4 08-09 Day 2: 2 04-15 Total: 6 13-08
102. Brooks Parker – Briggs Alavezos University of Montevallo 149
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 2 04-12 Total: 6 13-07
103. Cody Monlezun – Josh Kerr Texas A&M University 148
Day 1: 3 08-00 Day 2: 3 05-05 Total: 6 13-05
104. Trey McMeen – Dylan Armstrong East Texas Baptist University 147
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 1 02-05 Total: 6 13-04
105. Levi Thibodaux – William Tew LSU – Shreveport 146
Day 1: 4 08-15 Day 2: 2 04-01 Total: 6 13-00
106. Anderson Jones – Lander University 145
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 2 03-08 Total: 7 12-12
107. Zach Pocos – Tucker Siminak McKendree University 144
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 3 05-03 Total: 6 12-11
108. Trace Antunes III – Garrett Ring University of Montevallo 143
Day 1: 2 04-05 Day 2: 4 08-05 Total: 6 12-10
109. Braden Lankford – Murray State College 142
Day 1: 4 10-08 Day 2: 1 02-01 Total: 5 12-09
110. Kolby Angell – Michael Markham University of Montevallo 141
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 12-07
111. Will Weischwill – Cade Dornburg Texas A&M University 140
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 12-05 Total: 5 12-05
112. Easton Bouma – Zachary Ward Drury University 139
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 2 05-12 Total: 5 12-04
113. Lane Clark – Tallis Morrison Erskine College 138
Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 3 03-09 Total: 7 12-03
114. Delaney Platt – Ryan Olsen Wabash Valley College 137
Day 1: 4 12-02 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 12-02
115. Ethan Fields – McKendree University 136
Day 1: 4 11-10 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 11-10
116. Jeremy Monda – Florida Gateway College 135
Day 1: 3 06-14 Day 2: 2 04-07 Total: 5 11-05
117. Peyton Matherne – Beau Landry LSU 134
Day 1: 1 03-12 Day 2: 3 07-06 Total: 4 11-02
118. Hunter Russell – Richard Skiff Wabash Valley College 133
Day 1: 4 08-15 Day 2: 1 02-00 Total: 5 10-15
119. Owen Wheeler – Bethel University 132
Day 1: 5 08-12 Day 2: 1 02-03 Total: 6 10-15
120. Reece Keeney – Brantley Anders Kentucky Christian University 131
Day 1: 5 10-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 5 10-04
121. Drake Sturgill – Hudson Choquette University of Montevallo 130
Day 1: 2 04-05 Day 2: 3 05-09 Total: 5 09-14
122. Justin Latham – Lake Hatfield Campbellsville University 129
Day 1: 4 09-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 09-08
123. Noah Lieberman – Jacob Hiebsch Missouri State University 128
Day 1: 2 05-06 Day 2: 2 03-10 Total: 4 09-00
124. Cody Brumfield – Alex Mccarty University of Rio Grande 127
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 3 06-09 Total: 4 08-12
125. Matthew Gunn – Matthew Massey Erskine College 126
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 1 01-15 Total: 4 08-05
126. Karsten Raney – Brayson Claunch Campbellsville University 125
Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 2 05-07 Total: 3 08-00
127. Matthew Norton – Ian Schroeder UNC – Charlotte 124
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 2 05-07 Total: 3 07-08
128. Jase Smith Jr. – Zachary Nolan Georgia College 123
Day 1: 3 07-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 07-04
129. Cabe Mackey – Jacob Webb Catawba Valley Community College 122
Day 1: 4 07-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 4 07-03
130. Luke McGuffin – Rylan Green Erskine College 121
Day 1: 2 04-14 Day 2: 1 02-02 Total: 3 07-00
131. Sam Ausbrooks – Eli Jaime Wabash Valley College 120
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-15 Total: 3 06-15
132. Carter Teune – Nick Hawkins Southeastern University 119
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-06 Total: 3 06-06
133. Wyatt Pearman – Ridge Rutledge Campbellsville University 118
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 06-00
134. Dom Begier – Erich Thompson SUNY – ESF 117
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 2 03-08 Total: 3 06-00
135. Will Wester – Jackson Thomas Emmanuel College 116
Day 1: 2 05-15 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 05-15
136. Josh Richardson – Nathan Vahle University of Nebraska – Lincoln 115
Day 1: 2 03-14 Day 2: 1 02-01 Total: 3 05-15
137. Caleb Neu – Anthony Cicero IV Bethel University 114
Day 1: 2 04-03 Day 2: 1 01-11 Total: 3 05-14
138. Grayson Ball – Sellers Odom University of North Alabama 113
Day 1: 2 05-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 05-13
139. Grant Rice – Blake Marcum Morehead State University 112
Day 1: 2 05-09 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 05-09
140. Harmon Marien – Mason Darling McKendree University 111
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 3 05-04
141. Drew Blasi – Noah Amundson Kansas State University 110
Day 1: 2 03-04 Day 2: 1 02-00 Total: 3 05-04
142. Owen Januszewski – Brady Pinwar Adrian College 109
Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 1 02-07 Total: 2 05-04
143. Blake Bullock – John Mark Berry Blue Mountain Christian Universi 108
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 05-01
144. Dallas Copeland – Mario Botan Texas A&M University 107
Day 1: 2 00-14 Day 2: 2 03-14 Total: 4 04-12
145. Colten Drawdy – Bethel University 106
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 1 02-01 Total: 2 04-11
146. Peyton Dunn – Michael Avery Emmanuel College 105
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 2 04-09
147. Will Hammond – Parker Lambert Lander University 104
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-04 Total: 2 04-04
148. Cole Hadlock – Jackson Kulijof Murray State University 103
Day 1: 1 04-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 04-03
149. Michael John Teate – Diego Alea Southeastern University 102
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 1 01-08 Total: 2 03-14
150. Grant Simmons – Missouri State University 101
Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-13
151. Lance Denney – Jackson Slaughter University of Nebraska – Lincoln 100
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-08
152. Kenny Price – Wyatt Loving Stephen F Austin State Universit 99
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-04
153. Ben Burns – Grant Pursifull Stephen F Austin State Universit 98
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 1 02-03
154. Tanner Wassilchalk – West Virginia University 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00 Total: 0 00-00
———————————————————————–
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 70 566 1378-12
2 57 490 1176-12
———————————-
127 1056 2555-08

Fish Rivers for More Bass in Summer!

Brian Carter

July 11, 2025

During the heat of summer, many bass in lakes retreat to deeper waters, making them harder to reach without specialized gear. River bass often remain in six feet of water or less, where they’re easier to access and more aggressive. The flowing water keeps them energized and actively feeding in shallow zones. This is ideal for anglers who enjoy power fishing or working visible cover near the surface. These shallow-water areas can be rich with ambush spots like laydowns, overhanging vegetation, and shoreline areas. For those who prefer a more visual, hands-on fishing style, river systems offer consistent action and high engagement throughout the summer. Bass in shallow rivers also benefit from better oxygen levels and a steady influx of food, both of which keep them active during otherwise sluggish conditions. This makes soft plastics effective, as they mimic the natural forage washed downstream. When targeting river bass, you can often see strikes happen in real time, adding excitement and immediacy to each cast. Rivers tend to have less recreational boat traffic than lakes, making for a more peaceful fishing experience. Whether you’re new or looking for change of pace, the river is a rewarding place.Our Fresh HellaMite is designed to imitate a major aquatic food source, delivering a realistic profile of an insect larva that fish can’t resist. Each is scented for complete and total attraction underwater along with being made in the USA by real fishermen just like you. We’ve recently dropped a new HellaMite Pro Pack that is loaded with 60 total baits in all six proven colors, plus three Owner Block Head Ned Jigs and a handy storage bag. This kit has everything you need to stay rigged and ready year-round. Grab our newest Lil Bass, Hot Sauce, MidNight, Glow, 10w30 Synthetic, Slimer Green, and Barbie Pink HellaMite colors. We’ve also recently restocked our popular Smoke Purple HellaMite. The HellaMite’s solid body and hyperactive ribbed tail design produce a life-like quivering action with every twitch of the rod. Its unique flat underbelly detail enables this bait to be fished as a drop shot, Ned rig, neko rig, and even a small Carolina-rig, making it the ideal bait in any condition year-round. When the water is clear, the fish can see the bait and look like real food, causing strikes. Each cast becomes an opportunity for an exhilarating catch, thanks to its superior performance and versatility.

One of the most important elements in summer river fishing is current. It provides a constant supply of oxygen-rich and slightly cooler water, which helps keep bass active even during the hottest months. Rivers that have steady water movement, especially near dams or natural chokepoints, tend to hold more fish. The current also positions prey like baitfish and insects, making it easier for bass to locate and ambush food. As a result, areas with stronger current often support better fishing than stagnant backwaters or main lake flats. Understanding how current shapes bass behavior is critical for consistently locating productive stretches of river. When current is present, bass hold tight to specific current breaks where food flows to them. This allows anglers to focus their efforts on high-percentage areas instead of aimlessly covering water. Soft plastics such as cray-styled baits and beetles are effective when worked slowly along these breaks, mimicking the natural drift of prey. Timing also plays a role, many rivers experience stronger flow in the morning or evening due to dam schedules, which can trigger feeding windows. Knowing how and when current flows through a river can turn a slow day into a highly productive one.We use our Fresh Scorpion because it closely imitates a crawfish. Our newest 10w30 Synthetic, Slimer Green, and Barbie Pink Scorpion colors work wonders. The Scorpion is a revolutionary new look to soft plastics. Its intricate detailing and texture mimic the nuances of a real crawfish, making it hard for bass to resist. Of course, water clarity always plays a role in color selection but in any season, you can’t miss using colors such as Green Pumpkin Seed, Brown Bark, and the Magneto. This bait not only appears natural to fish but gives them something to become curious about. The Scorpion paired with a stand-up jig is deadly because the jig actually sits the bait upright in a defensive stance. The subtle color variations across the bait further enhance its appeal, mimicking the natural color shifts found in live prey. Each Fresh Scorpion has a unique and exclusive 3-axis tail design that is engineered like no other soft plastic bait. Our Scorpions are made by anglers from high-grade non-salt plastic to provide superior life-like action that triggers strikes!

When water flows through a river, bass naturally position themselves behind objects that block or break the current. These could be rocks, logs, root wads, or sections of the bank that deflect flow. Bass face into the current and wait for food to wash past, conserving energy while remaining ready to strike. This predictable setup truly gives anglers a major advantage, as it narrows down where to cast. By focusing efforts on these current breaks, you can effectively target the highest-percentage areas. Once you understand this behavior, the river becomes much easier to read and fish productively. What makes this even more rewarding is the ability to repeat success across similar types of cover all throughout the river. If bass are consistently holding behind logjams or boulders in one stretch, chances are you’ll find them the same way elsewhere. Presenting soft plastics upstream and letting them drift naturally into these ambush zones can trigger fast strikes. Precision casting becomes more important in rivers, as small changes in position can determine whether a bass sees your bait or not. With a little observation and pattern recognition, you can dial in a productive rhythm that leads to steady action.The new FreshBaitz Lizards deliver a realistic profile that excels in both power and finesse techniques. Act fast, we’ve recently just released new Hot Sauce, MidNight, Ghost, and 10w30 Synthetic Lizard designs! The unique forward-facing leg design creates drag that holds it in the strike zone longer or produces wild flapping action with every pull of the rod. Additionally, its slightly ribbed solid body and large head hold your hook in place and provide much better weedless performance making it the ideal bait to use in any condition. Water clarity always plays a super big role in color selection but in any season year-round, you can’t miss when using colors such as Watermelon Red, Black & Blue, or Green Pumpkin. Its flexible tail design ensures added movement, tempting even the most cautious fish. The superior 5.5-inch profile stretches to a whole 7 inches which is perfect for predatory fish including bass year round. Made from long-lasting durable high-grade non-salted plastic for total and maximum attention-grabbing action underwater.

The amount of current flowing through a river can dramatically affect the success of your fishing trip. When upstream dams or rainfall generate steady flow, bass are easier to locate and more responsive. On calm days with little movement, fish tend to suspend and become much harder to catch. Visual cues like water swirling around shoreline brush or grass indicate that current is strong and positioning bass properly. It’s always worth checking water conditions before launching, especially on regulated rivers. Paying attention to how much water is moving can help you determine whether to stay in the river or explore other options. Strong current not only activates the fish but also consolidates them into predictable holding spots, reducing guesswork. When the current slows down, bass may scatter or retreat to deeper pools where oxygen and food are harder to come by. This makes timing your trip around water releases or natural inflow events a valuable tactic. Some anglers tend to use river gauges or dam release schedules to plan their outings around optimal flow periods. Understanding the relationship between water movement and bass behavior helps you fish smarter and avoid wasting time on unproductive water.Our Fresh Beetle delivers ultimate versatility in a soft plastic bait. Its slim yet wide body design and four claws are engineered to naturally glide and wobble as it moves through the water. This design ensures they remain enticingly active longer than conventional baits. Its unique texture also provides a realistic feel, making bass hold on longer once they bite. Water clarity plays a big role in color selection but year-round you can’t miss when using go-to colors such as Chocolate Mint, Ox Blood, or 10w30 Synthetic beetles. The hyper-active swimming claws are designed thin with long-lasting durable non-salt plastic to make them come alive with the slightest movement. The Fresh Beetle offers an enticing 4-inch profile and is scented for complete and total attraction! You can rig these Beetles as a Jig/ Chatter Trailer, Flippin/ Punching, Texas Rig, Swing Jig, and Carolina Rig. Making the beetle beyond perfect in any weather condition year-round!

To take full advantage of river current, proper boat positioning is essential. Anglers should set up downstream from their target and cast upstream, allowing soft plastics like worms, beetles, or cray-styled baits to drift naturally back toward the fish. This approach mirrors the way food moves through the water and presents lures directly in the line of sight of waiting bass. Since river bass face into the current, they’re more likely to strike a lure that approaches from the front. Keeping your presentation aligned with the flow leads to more natural strikes and fewer spooked fish. It’s a subtle adjustment that can significantly increase your hookup rate. Maintaining this position can be challenging, especially in stronger current, so a reliable trolling motor and responsive boat control are key. Staying too close to your target can alert fish, while being too far can make it hard to cast accurately into high-percentage areas. When executed well, this positioning gives you repeated opportunities to present your bait exactly where bass are holding. It also helps you pick apart cover more thoroughly, working each angle as your bait flows past. Mastering boat placement becomes just as important as choosing the right lure.Using a stick-styled worm is the most tried and true ways to catch fish. We have a variety of 5-inch Worms to choose from but we just added MidNight, Glow, and Ghost Worms! Our popular Watermelon Red Worms have been restocked as well. You can also experience our new wacky rigging kit while it’s ON SALE! The WACKY Pack offers our most popular colors and essential tools for wacky rigging. If you’re fast enough you might be able to grab the limited-release Pumpkin Spice Worm before it’s completely sold out along with some of our newest colors including the Brown Worm, Electric Chicken Worm, and Goby Wan Worm colors. The high-grade non-salt plastic they’re made from provides positive buoyancy and it even floats underwater! We also released new 6-inch Worms including Charmeleon, Rainbow TRT, Bone, Chocolate Mint, and Fire TGR — all available in 5 and 6-inch. We’ve also recently released new 8-count packs of worms available in Watermelon Red, Black & Blue, and Green Pumpkin. We also offer worms that have the unique ability to shift from one color to another. Scented for total attraction underwater.

Current breaks and eddies are the most reliable ambush points for river bass in the summer. These areas form wherever something disrupts the flow. Fallen trees, rocks, or small bends in the bank create calm pockets of water. In these eddies, bass can hold comfortably while watching for food drifting past. Some of the best strikes happen in these slack zones just behind the current line. Soft plastics like worms, insect larvae, or lizards can be deadly when slowly worked through these calmer pockets. Whether near the bank or mid-channel, targeting current breaks with intention will dramatically boost your chances of success. It’s important to thoroughly fish each eddy, as bass often sit tight in small pockets and may not strike until a bait enters the exact spot. Casting beyond the break and letting your lure drift naturally into the eddy mimics real forage washing in with the current. Don’t overlook subtle breaks, minor irregularities in current flow can hold aggressive fish, especially in pressured areas. Mid-river structures like sandbars or submerged trees can create overlooked eddies that produce big bites. With some patience and the right presentation, these current disruptions can yield anglers consistent results all summer long.Our newest FreshBaitz Mandingo Trick Worm is the ultimate game-changer for anglers with a passion! Engineered for the angler who knows SIZE does matter, this lure is designed to attract only the BIGGEST bass with a penchant for the larger bait. The Mandingo Trick Worm boasts a solid 7-inch body enhanced with a hyperactive ribbed design, ensuring irresistible mouth-watering action for those trophy bass. Officially available in a vibrant array of 8 colors. Each worm is made from durable, high-grade Non-Salted plastic for lifelike action and unparalleled durability. Perfectly balanced for a variety of rigging options and scented for total and maximum attraction, the Mandingo Trick Worm promises year-round effectiveness in lakes, rivers, and streams. Whether you’re rigging it on a Shakey Head, Drop Shot, Texas Rig, or Carolina Rig, these worms are your ticket to landing the big ones. Proudly made in the USA by real anglers to help elevate your fishing experience and catch more bass year-round!

The same techniques that work in lakes can be highly effective in rivers when adapted to the current. Soft plastics like worms, cray-style baits, and beetles excel when fished around cover or in eddies. Instead of waiting out one spot, successful river fishing usually involves covering lots of similar-looking structure. Once you recognize where bass are holding, whether it’s behind rocks, beside logs, or under overhangs, you can begin to pattern those spots and move efficiently. River bass tend to be scattered, so staying mobile is key to building a limit. The more water you cover with the right presentation, the more consistent your results will be. Keep your casts focused and deliberate, working each piece of cover thoroughly before moving on. Even if you catch a fish in one spot, it’s often best to move rather than wait for another bite. River fishing rewards those who fish with purpose and maintain a steady pace. Use your electronics or visual markers to identify promising structure as you go. You’ll develop a rhythm that lets you maximize each stretch of water with minimal downtime. This active approach not only increases your chances of finding bass but also helps you fine-tune your presentation with each new piece of cover.We have a wide variety of terminal tackle to choose from, but we’ve recently released new Nako Tungsten Tear Drop Shot Weights, crafted from 97% eco-friendly tungsten for stealth, durability, and vibration, with easy-to-read size stamps and a crimped swivel for quick changes. The new Haymaker EWG Worm Hooks are also now available, featuring an extra-wide gap for various soft plastics, a Z-lock shoulder bend for secure bait placement, and an angled-up super needle point for fast, powerful hooksets. For creature-styled baits, a more popular choice to use is the Stand-Up Jig because it sits the bait up-right in a defensive stance! Mosquito Hooks work for dropshotting and perfectly accommodates a wide range of soft plastics. The popular All Purpose Hooks are built with an extra-wide gap and are made to accommodate a wide range of soft plastics. The Block Head Jig is perfect for ned rigging the HellaMite with its mushroom-style head that seamlessly matches a wide variety of soft plastics. The Offset Block Head Jig, offers the same mushroom-style head with a unique offset hook, making it a go-to for weedless Ned Rig applications. The Shakey Ultrahead can permanently secure baits by inserting the pin in the center and screwing the twist lock coil spring for perfect rigging every time! The Ultrahead Wacky Jig features precise weight positioning and hook orientation for the ultimate wacky presentations. For fast Texas rigging, we use the Bullet-Type Rig which has an attached weight saving you precious time when fishing cover. The 4x Jungle Flippin Hook is designed for big fish and the toughest conditions. The Range Roller Jig Head is crafted for precision with its high center axis design, perfect for hover-strolling and mid to bottom strolling with forward facing sonar, ensuring an enticing rolling action that triggers bites. We also just released Keep’em Fresh Bait Bags! These bags are the ultimate solution for anglers who need their gear to perform. Built like a tank, this bag is 20x stronger than regular zip bags and offers 100% waterproof protection with a rock-solid double zipper seal. Whether it’s for soft plastics, snacks, or your smartphone, this reusable and versatile bag keeps everything safe from water, mud, and grime. It’s lightweight yet spacious, it fits snugly in your tackle box or backpack, making it perfect for your next adventure.

Power-Pole® to Debut VISION and Stainless Steel TECHFLOW® Propeller at ICAST 2025

Bass News

Brian Carter

July 11, 2025

Power-Pole® to Debut VISION and Stainless Steel TECHFLOW® Propeller at ICAST 2025

JL Marine Systems, the makers of Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchors, announces the official ICAST debut of Power-Pole VISION, a Marine Infotainment Display, and the NEW Stainless Steel TECHFLOW Propeller for Power-Pole MOVE trolling motors.

TAMPA, FL – Both innovations have been entered into ICAST 2025’s prestigious New Product Showcase — in the Electronics and Motorized Boating Accessories categories.

Power-Pole VISION^®
After a year of teasers and exclusive previews, Power-Pole VISION makes its full debut at ICAST 2025. Designed for anglers who demand total boat control, clarity, and connectivity, VISION is more than a screen — it’s a full-featured command center.

Seamlessly control Power-Pole anchors, MOVE trolling motors, and CHARGE
Google-certified with access to all your favorite apps on Google Play™
Built-in HD action camera and microphone
Glare-free high-contrast display for clear visibility in all conditions

VISION is purpose-built for the marine environment and designed to enhance both safety and convenience on the water — all while helping anglers fish smarter.

Stainless Steel TECHFLOW Prop
Making its global debut at ICAST 2025, our new Stainless Steel TECHFLOW Propeller was built to withstand the harshest conditions anglers face. Designed exclusively for Power-Pole MOVE ZR and PV trolling motors, this stainless steel version of our original TECHFLOW^® propeller delivers the same proven performance and quiet operation — now with the added strength and longevity of stainless steel.

Solid stainless steel construction for extended wear resistance
Precision blade geometry maintains consistent water flow and torque
Built for anglers who demand reliability—season after season

“We’ve always said Power-Pole is more than just anchors,” said Robert Shamblin, Vice President of JL Marine Systems. “With VISION and our new Stainless Steel TECHFLOW propeller, we’re continuing to give anglers the tools they need to dominate on the water — from total boat control at the helm to long-lasting performance at the prop.”

Power-Pole can be located at Booth #4822 at ICAST 2025. Attendees can see both products in person, experience hands-on demos, and learn more about the brand’s full collection of premium marine products.

Availability:

Power-Pole VISION & Stainless Steel TECHFLOW Propeller will be available soon through authorized Power-Pole dealers. Check with your local dealer today for availability and pricing. For more information, please visit power-pole.com/VISION and power-pole.com/SS-TECHFLOW.

Interested in bringing Power-Pole to your customers?

We’re always looking to partner with top-tier dealers who are passionate about performance and service. Learn more about how to become a Power-Pole dealer at power-pole.com/contact/become-a-dealer.

About Power-Pole^®

JL Marine Systems, Inc., the makers of the original Power-Pole shallow water anchors, CHARGE^® marine power management, and the full line of MOVE^® brushless trolling motors, has been pioneering innovative boat control solutions for over 25 years. With roots deeply planted in fishing performance and customer-first engineering, Power-Pole products are proudly made in the USA and trusted by the most elite anglers in both freshwater and saltwater.

Blacktusk Outdoors Acquires Lucky Strike Bait Works

Bass News

Brian Carter

July 11, 2025

Blacktusk Outdoors expands its premium outdoor portfolio with the acquisition of legendary Lucky Strike.

TORONTO – Blacktusk Outdoors, a growing leader in the outdoor gear and angling space, is proud to announce its acquisition of Lucky Strike, one of North America’s most storied fishing lure brands. The move marks a significant step in Blacktusk Outdoors’ mission to elevate heritage craftsmanship and advance design excellence across the fishing and outdoor industries.

Founded in 1929, Lucky Strike has built its reputation on producing durable, trusted tackle and landing nets for generations of anglers. From its iconic wooden baits to its tournament-proven spoons, the brand is synonymous with North American fishing culture and global performance. “This isn’t just a brand acquisition—it’s a legacy we’re choosing to protect and evolve,” said Jesse Bleeman, CEO of Blacktusk Outdoors. “Lucky Strike has been in the tackle boxes of serious anglers for nearly a century. We’re excited to bring fresh energy and forward-thinking design to a company that has stood the test of time.”

The acquisition of Lucky Strike Bait Works further strengthens Blacktusk Outdoors’ growing roster of fishing brands, which includes Lunkerhunt, known for its groundbreaking lure designs and pioneering soft plastics and Walleye County, a purpose built brand, focused on specialized anglers, offering curated bait assortments, regional color patterns, and proven profiles tailored to the demands of North American fisheries. With a portfolio that spans both legacy names and modern craftsmanship, Blacktusk is building a collection of brands in the fishing industry rooted in quality, creativity, and authenticity. The acquisition will allow Lucky Strike to retain its identity and manufacturing roots while benefiting from Blacktusk’s growing distribution network, digital capabilities, and product development resources. Plans are already underway to reinvest in product design, expand into new categories, and increase reach across North American and international markets.

“Joining Blacktusk Outdoors opens the door to everything we’ve been working toward,” said Dustin Rhodes, President of Lucky Strike Bait Works. “We’re still the same company that believes in hard work and honest gear—but now we’ve got the tools to reach more anglers than ever.” As part of the acquisition, Lucky Strike’s operations will continue uninterrupted, with its team and factory remaining in Ontario. Customers can expect the same product quality, now paired with improved service, digital access, and future-forward design.

About Blacktusk Outdoors

Blacktusk Outdoors creates authentic, premium-quality gear for people who live and breathe the outdoors.

About Lucky Strike Bait Works

Lucky Strike Bait Works has been manufacturing fishing lures and tackle since 1929. Known for its craftsmanship and iconic designs, the brand is a staple among anglers across North America and beyond.

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Power-Pole® to Debut VISION and Stainless Steel TECHFLOW® Propeller at ICAST 2025

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