The defending Team of the Year duo is back for more. Fothergill and Dumke, who have been fishing together since their sophomore year in high school, had a spectacular 2023 season with an average finish of 16th place and ended the season with a fifth-place finish in the National Championship. Fothergill went on to win the bracket and will compete in the 2024 Bassmaster Classic and all nine Bassmaster Opens. They have already picked up where they left off with a third-place finish at the MLF College Championship.
The accolades continued to pile up for Smith and Marbut in 2023. With a victory at Pickwick Lake, this duo is the only team to win both the High School National Championship and the College Series National Championship. Both Smith and Marbut put together impressive performances during the Bracket at Milford, with Smith advancing to the final round and notching his second runner-up finish in the event. Marbut and Smith will no doubt be favorites to reach the Bracket again in 2024.
This Blue Mountain team took the 2023 season by storm by winning the first stop of the Bassmaster College Series at the Harris Chain. After that, they notched a ninth- and eighth-place finish at the James River and Red River. If not for a rogue 108th-place finish at Cherokee Lake, Bullock and Berry would have dominated the Team of the Year race. They rounded out the season with a top 10 at the National Championship.
Hayden Gaddis and Ben Cully have been one of the most consistent teams in college fishing over the past several years, many of which have been covered in our yearly list. With a win in 2021 on Lake Hartwell and in 2022 on Lake Keowee, the duo from Carson Newman will be looking to add to the trophy case this season. In three regular-season events with Bassmaster in 2024, Cully and Gaddis finished 43rd at the Harris Chain, 21st at Cherokee before a disappointing 132nd at the James River. They are already off to a hot start in 2024 with a top 10 finish in another major championship.
This sophomore duo brings some serious talent into this season. Before starting their time at UNA, these anglers were both Bassmaster High School All-Americans. Shaw won the 2021 High School National Championship while Reynolds finished sixth at the 2022 High School Championship. Shaw and Reynolds then qualified for the 2023 College Series National Championship and are looking to do much more this season.
This team from Emmanuel has a rich history of success. Guy, a former Bassmaster High School All-American, has a previous top five in the 2022 College Series National Championship with former partner Brooks Anderson. After a top-five finish in the 2023 College Series National Championship, Guy and Campbell will look for more success in the 2024 season, hoping to seal the deal on a trip to the College Classic Bracket.
Having fished together since high school, Bissing and Paden have worked their way up the college ranks. Last year, this Volunteer team notched a Top 10 finish at the 2023 College Championship on Pickwick Lake and finished 38th in Team of the Year. They already have a top 10 finish in a major tournament this year and are looking to keep their momentum going in the Strike King Bassmaster College Series.
Robison finished 12th in Team of the Year with his partner Jack Alexander in 2023, which ultimately led to an appearance in the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket. Robison was knocked out in the semifinal round. Robison has multiple accolades including a third-place finish in the 2023 National Championship. White qualified for the 2022 National Championship. Both anglers will be looking to making the 2024 season their best yet.
A newly formed duo of Logan East and Connor Giles will be looking to make a statement this season for powerhouse Bryan College. East finished third at the 2022 Wild Card Event on Logan Martin and Giles had a top 25 in the 2022 College National Championship at Winyah Bay. After an uncharacteristically tough season for both anglers, they will be hungry in 2024.
Minor, already an accomplished kayak angler, jumped in the boat with Hemby and qualified for the 2023 College Series National Championship at the first stop of last season. The Carson-Newman duo notched a 39th-place finish at a challenging Pickwick Lake in August. The New Year is already off to a good start for the team with a 12th-place finish at another tour’s national championship.
Browning and Sturgill had a solid season last year including a Top 10 finish at the James River and top 30s at Cherokee and at the National Championship. Browning has a history of success, notching a win at Norfork Lake in 2022 when he was attending Drury University. Browning is also slotted to fish all nine of the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens this season.
After a top five finish in Team of the Year last season, Filmore and Fogarty, a former two-time All-American, are expecting even bigger things in 2024. The Bethel team started the season strong with a top 20 at the Harris Chain and a Top 10 at Lake Cherokee followed by a 32nd at the James River and a 58th at the James River. They rounded out the season with a 34th at Pickwick.
The brothers from Tarleton State had a solid year last season with two Top 10 finishes and finished 17th in Team of the Year rankings. Trevor also had a third-place finish at the Wild Card Lay Lake with Kayden Tanner. With the Lunkers trail making a stop at Sam Rayburn, look out for this team to make some noise in their home state.
Glasgow has a history of success in college. He notched a third-place finish in 2022 on Lake Norman and a second-place finish last year on the Harris Chain. Fishing with a new partner this year, Nathan Reeves, the duo will be looking to take home a trophy this time around.
The sophomore duo from UNA already has one National Championship qualification under their belt by winning last year’s Tennessee B.A.S.S. Nation College State Championship. In the Bassmaster National Championship at Pickwick, they notched a 35th-place finish. In addition, they have already won a major event in Florida this year. The Nutt brothers are hot — watch for them to be contenders this season.
Referred to as the Peoples’ Champ at the College Classic Bracket, Jack Alexander is teaming up with Ryan Thomas this season. With different partners, both anglers have qualified for the College Series National Championship every year they’ve fished. Alexander notched a third-place finish at last season’s National Championship while Thomas had a 16th-place and a ninth-place finish at the James River and Red River respectively.
Carty Shoen, an Arizona native, hit the ground running his freshman season with a third-place finish at Cherokee with partner Bennett Slinkard. Peck already has a College Series victory from 2022 with his former teammate Beau Browning. This new pairing will look to add more hardware to the esteemed Auburn trophy case.
Stephens and Fields will look to become the next McKendree team to head to the College Classic Bracket. Stephens has had a successful college career thus far including a 10th-place finish at the Red River last season fishing with Trey Schroeder and finishing 27th in Team of the Year. Stephens and Fields will look to build on Stephens’ 2023 accomplishments and secure a top finish at the National Championship.
Thibodaux and Shelby qualified for last season’s College National Championship via a fifth-place finish at the Wild Card event on Lay Lake. The 2024 season is off to a promising start as they finished sixth and 25th at another tour’s season opener and Championship respectively. Thibodaux also has a Bassmaster High School All-American title and a High School Combine Champion title to his name.
After back-to-back Top 10s to start the 2023 season, Anderson and Heaton went on to finish seventh in the Team of the Year race. Their season ended in disappointment with a 106th-place finish at Pickwick. These two have a history of success across the country, but especially South Carolina. Anderson, a former High School All-American, and Heaton will look to requalify for the National Championship with hopes of a much better showing.
This Montevallo duo has posted back-to-back top five finishes in the coveted Team of the Year Race including the runner-up spot last season. In the 2023 season, they never finished lower than 31st. As one of the most consistent teams in college fishing, look for them to make a run at Team of the Year this season.
Fishing separately last season, Morrison and Clark qualified for the National Championship with their respective partners. Morrison finished in 11th at the Championship at Pickwick and Clark had a top five finish at the Harris Chain to open the season. Clark has also found success in some of the Carolina tournament trails, winning a Palmetto Boat Center event on Hartwell last summer and an ABA on Lake Russell earlier this year.
Brumbaugh, a former High School All-State angler, fished with former College National Champion Hayden Scott last season and finished 46th in Team of the Year. Brumbaugh will be looking to make a statement with his new partner. Pinwar won two Bassmaster High School events on Saginaw Bay in 2021 with his partner Alec Albrecht.
Fishing with a new partner this year, Christian Turner and his partner finished 16th in Team of the Year points last year along with a 34th-place finish at the Red River. Teammates of Andrew Vereen and Connor Cartmell who won the 2022 College Series National Championship, Turner and McGill will be looking for more good finishes this season.
Prince and Stalvey are both accomplished high school anglers looking to make a splash their freshman year. Stalvey won the 2022 High School Classic on Lake Keowee with his partner Jacob Deel along with the High School Series on the Harris Chain in 2021. The freshman duo from Florida will be looking for their success to carry over into college.
The newest members of the Purdue fishing team are bringing some serious accolades with them. Both anglers are former Bassmaster High School All-Americans. Ault also had a Top 10 finish in the 2022 Bassmaster High School National Championship on Lake Hartwell.
