The special guests on EP. 242 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast are Aiden Grad, Brennan Osborn, and Jaiden Sobczyk. These anglers are members of the 39th ranked Simpson University Bass Fishing Team in California. They travel from the west coast, making multi-day long road trips, to compete in major college fishing events. Simpson University anglers have competed in numerous Association of Collegiate Anglers events in recent years, and competed at both events on the 2025-26 Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series so far this season. Tune in to hear them talk about their pride in representing the west coast, and what it means to them to be able to compete in collegiate bass fishing.
Tripp Berlinsky & Bryce DiMauro from 3rd ranked University of North Alabama won the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR. The Association of Collegiate Anglers' second event of the 2025-26 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series saw over 270 anglers compete for more than $20,000 in prizes and contingencies, as well as double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The two UNA anglers took home top honors with a two-day total weight of 33.77 pounds. Tune in to EP. 241 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast to hear them talk about the major tournament victory, UNA's goals for this season, and more!
The AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open is the second event of the season for the Association of Collegiate Anglers on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The nationally televised, no-entry-fee, double points event will take place October 11-12 at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR. More than 280 teams are currently registered to compete for the tournament title, as well as over $20,000 in prizes and contingencies. On EP. 240 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast, members of the University of Arkansas Bass Fishing Club join host Kyle Curry to preview Lake Dardanelle. Tune in and listen now!
Listen to EP. 239 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast! On this episode, host Kyle Curry is joined by Jared Mizell from 10th ranked Tarleton State University. Jared bested the elite field of more than 630 anglers to win the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley with a bass weighing 7.93 pounds. The victory at the first Association of Collegiate Anglers event of the 2025-26 season earned him a total of close to $7,000 in prizes and contingencies, as well as valuable points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Tune in to hear how he caught the winning fish, as well as a discussion about Tarleton State's goals for this current season!
Next weekend, the Association of Collegiate Anglers will kick off its 2025-26 season for the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley will take place at Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN on September 20-21. On EP. 238 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast, host Kyle Curry is joined by members of the Murray State University bass fishing club. Grant Meisenhelter, Drew Morgan, and Mark Bixlar join the show to talk Kentucky Lake, Berkley baits, and the team's goals towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
Tune in to listen to EP. 237 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast! The special guest on this episode is Kyle Wood, Senior Product Manager with Rapala. During this interview we highlight several great products from Rapala, including the Pigstick, PXR Deep Maverick 110, DT Series, and more. A new school year is kicking off and fall is a great time of the year to be out on the water, so listen to this episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast to learn more!
On EP. 236 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast, the special guests are Garrett Smith & Andrew Blanton from Lander University. The two anglers won the Bassmaster College Series National Championship at Cherokee Lake last month. Lander also finished the 2024-25 season ranked 14th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Tune in to hear about the winning moment at Cherokee Lake, the school's goals for this upcoming season, and much more!
The special guests on this episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast are Drew Pitts, Alex Gore, and Nick Dellaporta from Carson-Newman University. Carson-Newman finished the 2024-25 season of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia ranked 3rd. This marks three straight seasons in which Carson-Newman has ended the year ranked third, and sixth consecutive season finishing the season ranked in the Top 10. Tune in to this episode to hear the anglers talks about this past season, and their goals entering the 2025-26 campaign!
Peyton Harris & Dalton Head from number one ranked University of Montevallo won the Association of Collegiate Anglers' historic 20th National Championship event. The pair took the victory at Lake Hartwell for the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops with a two-day total weight of 37.14 pounds. Montevallo's Top 3 highest-placing teams at that tournament finished in 1st, 3rd, and 9th. Those three Top 10 finishes earned the team 7,300 points to help them secure their fifth straight title as Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Tune in to EP. 234 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast to hear Peyton & Dalton talk about these major accomplishments!
The Association of Collegiate Anglers will soon contest its historic 20th National Championship, the 2025 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. College fishing's longest-running National Championship tournament will take place at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, SC. Palmer Parrish from nearby Clemson University joins host Kyle Curry on EP. 233 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast to breakdown Lake Hartwell. Tune in to hear how the lake is setting up and what Palmer thinks it will take to win!
Trey Marco & Jake Rowlands are the special guests on EP. 232 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast. The two anglers from 33rd ranked King University won the latest Bassmaster College Series event contested at Buggs Island. Trey & Jake won the event with a two-day total weight of 38 pounds 9 ounces. Both anglers are also registered to compete together at the upcoming Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, the ACA's historic 20th National Championship. Tune in to hear the two talk about the victory at Buggs Island, their shot at moving into the Top 25 for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, as well as preview the upcoming Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops.
On this episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast, host Kyle Curry is joined by Brody Robison and Peyton Sorrow. The two anglers from top ranked University of Montevallo won the MLF College Series National Championship on Wheeler Lake. Montevallo's two highest placing teams at that event finished in 1st and 2nd overall, earning them the maximum number of points available that week. Tune in to hear Brody & Peyton talk about the victory and Montevallo's chase for its fifth straight title as Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
The special guests on this episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast are Chandler Howell & Clayton Ellis. Representing Top 20 ranked Blue Mountain Christian University, Chandler & Clayton won the Association of Collegiate Anglers' first event of 2025 for the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, the third event of its historic 20th season. The duo won the Pickwick Slam with a five bass limit weighing 25.54 pounds. For the 1st place victory, the anglers received a total payout exceeding $3,000 in prizes and contingencies...including the ACA logo contingency and T-H Marine Atlas Awards. Blue Mountain Christian also earned the most points of any team competing at Pickwick Lake, as the school's two highest-finishing teams earned 3,470 points towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Tune in to hear about their winning pattern, and goals for the team with just one month remaining in this current season!
The Association of Collegiate Anglers is set to host its first event of 2025 on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The Pickwick Slam will be contested at Pickwick Lake on April 5-6. This third major double points event of the ACA's historic 20th season will be the final event for the 2024-25 campaign before the year-end 20th Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops next month. Joining us on this episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast are Peyton Harris, Dalton Head, and Peyton Sorrow from top ranked University of Montevallo. Tune in to hear them preview Pickwick Lake, as well as talk about the team's quest for finishing the year ranked number one for the fifth straight season.
Shaden Farley & Sam Sutter from 26th ranked Murray State College recently won a MLF College Series tournament at Grand Lake. The pair won with a five bass limit tipping the scales at 18 pounds 2 ounces. This victory also nets the junior college team from Oklahoma valuable points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Tune in to this episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast as Sam joins host Kyle Curry to discuss the victory and talk about the Murray State College team.
Daylon Milam & James Dubose from number one ranked University of Montevallo join host Kyle Curry on EP. 227 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast. The two anglers just won the latest Bassmaster College Series event at Smith Lake with a total weight of 29 pounds 14 ounces. Montevallo's two highest-placing teams finished in 1st and 2nd overall. This earned the four-time defending Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia title winning team the maximum amount of points available that weekend. Tune in to hear about the win, and what it means for Montevallo's quest of claiming its fifth straight title.
Check out EP. 226 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast! The special guest for this episode is Scott Estes - President, Denali Fishing. Denali Fishing produces a great deal of high-quality products including fishing rods, fishing reels, and tungsten weights. During this podcast episode, Scott will talk about the latest products from Denali Fishing, discuss the ins and outs of developing fishing rods, as well as offer advice to college anglers looking to work in the fishing industry. Tune in now to hear the complete interview!
On EP. 225 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast, host Kyle Curry is joined by anglers from Georgia Southern University. Brayden Batchelor & Quinn Williams won the recent Bassmaster College Series event at Lake Okeechobee. The pair took home the victory with a two-day total weight of 42 pounds 3 ounces. Tune in now to hear how it all played out, as well as learn more about the Georgia Southern University bass fishing team!
The special guests on this episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast are Jake Peck & Luke Wyle. Representing 12th ranked Auburn University, Jake and Luke won the first Bassmaster College Series event of 2025 at the Harris Chain in Florida. The pair won the event with a one-day total weight of 23 pounds 2 ounces, including a big bass going 8 pounds 14 ounces. Tune in to hear the anglers talk about their victory and what it means for the Auburn University Bass Fishing Team!
On Episode 223 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast, host Kyle Curry is joined by special guest Dan Quinn, Director of R&D and Field Promotions for Rapala. Last year, Rapala made a big splash with its Crush City lineup of soft plastics. They've since introduced several new bait styles that Dan will break down during this interview. Rapala's partnership with the ACA includes Rapala, Crush City, Sufix, VMC, and 13 Fishing. Tune in to learn about the great products offered by these brands, as well as hear some advice from Dan to college anglers wanting to turn pro or work in the industry!
Tarleton State University is currently 6th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The team from Stephenville, TX was picked 20th in the ACA Pre-Season Poll, and has finished six of the past nine seasons ranked inside of the Top 25. A strong start this fall has the team just over 1,500 points behind 1st place. Tarleton State has earned over 3,000 points at each ACA event this season and has its sights set on claiming their first-ever title as Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Tune in to EP. 222 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast to hear from Tarleton State anglers Sam Semper, Cole Divin, and Willem Van Der Heijden!
On Episode 221 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast, host Kyle Curry is joined by special guests Harmon Marien and Maxwell Trotter. The two anglers are members of the 5th ranked McKendree University Bass Fishing Team. McKendree has accumulated a total of 12,150 points to count towards the 2024-25 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Approximately 2,000 points behind 1st place, McKendree has the opportunity to achieve collegiate bass fishing history this season. If they were to finish the year ranked number one, McKendree would join Montevallo as the only team to win the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia three or more times. Tune in to hear Harmon and Maxwell talk about this current season!
Tune in now to EP. 220 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast! The special guests for this episode are members of the 26th ranked Murray State College bass fishing team; Sam Sutter, Shaden Farley, and Pakanli Brock. Each of these anglers competed in the inaugural Junior College National Championship contested at Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma. Sam & Shaden won their division, and Pakanli finished in 1st place to claim the women's title. Listen to this episode to hear the anglers talk about their victories, as well as discuss the Murray State College fishing team.
Bethel University is a past winner of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The team from Tennessee finished the season ranked number one in 2018. Halfway through the 2024-25 season, Bethel is currently ranked 2nd overall in college fishing's only all-encompassing National Rankings system. The special guests on EP. 219 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast are Coleman Bingham, Hunter Fillmore, and Jackson Smith. Tune in to hear the Bethel University anglers talk about the current season and their hopes for winning the 2024-25 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia!
The special guests on EP. 218 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast are Tripp Berlinsky and Bryce Dimauro from 7th ranked University of North Alabama. The duo won the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR. With a two day total weight of 30.96 pounds, Tripp and Bryce took top honors to earn close to $5,000 in prizes and contingencies. Tune in to hear them talk about the victory, their winning patterns, and the significance of the win for UNA's chances at winning the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
The Association of Collegiate Anglers is set to host the second event of its historic 20th season this upcoming weekend. The AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open will take place on October 12-13 at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR. On EP. 217 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast, host Kyle Curry is joined by Mat Higby from Arkansas Tech University. In 2022, Mat and his fellow teammate won this particular event. Tune in to hear him talk about the current conditions at Lake Dardanelle, and what he thinks it will take to win the tournament!
In the latest update to the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, Carson-Newman University moved into the number one spot. On this episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast, host Kyle Curry is joined by Carson-Newman anglers to talk about their latest National Ranking. Tune in to episode 216 to hear from Cason Price, Joe Vaulton, and Jacob Deel.
The Association of Collegiate Anglers recently contested the first event of its historic 20th season. Close to 600 anglers competed at Kentucky Lake last weekend for the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. Evan Mabrey from Top 10 ranked University of Montevallo won the event with a bass weighing 7.11 pounds. Tune in to this episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast to hear Evan talk about his victory and the implications it has on Montevallo's quest for winning its fifth straight Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
It's time for another new episode of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast! On this episode, host Kyle Curry is joined by members of the Top 25 ranked Murray State University bass fishing club. Those anglers are; Archer Smith, Adrian Urso, and Braiden Koerber. The Association of Collegiate Anglers will kick off its historic 20th season this upcoming weekend at Kentucky Lake. Over 600 of the nation's top collegiate anglers are set to compete in the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley on September 21-22. Tune in to hear these anglers talk about the fishery and how they think competitors can go about catching big bass this weekend!
Listen to EP. 213 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast! The special guests on this episode are Cooper Gilroy & Hayden O'Barr from the University of Alabama. Gilroy & O'Barr won the latest MLF College Series event on the St. Lawrence River. Tune in to hear the two anglers talk about the victory, the history of their program, and goals for the team this upcoming season!
