College Bass Fishing: Launching Careers and Scholarship Opportunities

It’s been said that the sport of bass fishing has launched a million boats. For sure, the sport is now launching careers. Mirroring the well-established professional bass tournaments which take place around the country, scholastic teams now compete for recognition in events of their own, with stops at a variety of lakes. These anglers are college students who may have received a scholarship to attend the school of their choice. Add bass fishing to the roster of scholarship sports, right alongside football, baseball and others.

The Rise of College Bass Fishing

College bass fishing has emerged as a significant and competitive sport, offering unique opportunities for passionate anglers to pursue their dreams while furthering their education. Unlike traditional sports recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), college bass fishing operates under the umbrella of organizations like the Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA), Bassmaster College Series, and Major League Fishing (MLF) Abu Garcia College Series. These organizations provide a structured and competitive framework, complete with high-profile events that attract hundreds of teams.

Strike King Bassmaster College Series Tournament on Lake Okeechobee

Late in January of this year, I had a chance to meet some of these competitors at the Strike King Bassmaster College Series tournament on Lake Okeechobee. Teams launched from Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort in Clewiston. It was an exciting event for both spectators and family members of the young adults competing.

This was the first event in the 2025 College Series’ Lunkers Trail division. Over 200 teams competed in the two-day event, with the top honors going to Brayden Batchelor and Quinn Williams, representing Georgia Southern University. Their two-day, 10-fish total (all released) tipped the scales at 42 pounds, 3 ounces. Most of the fish this team caught were pre-spawn bass that had moved into backwater ponds in Winnie’s Cove, which had clear water and a hard bottom. The competition was intense with the new format for the Bassmaster College All-American honor. The top 10 percent of the field clinched a spot in the Strike King College Series National Championship, which will be presented by Bass Pro Shops later in the year. It’s exciting to see opportunities like this where top-performing collegiate anglers can be celebrated on a national stage. With the added prestige of making it to the College Classic Bracket or the National Championship, there’s a lot on the line.

The Bassmaster College Series features a two-division format with three tour stops each-the Legends Trail and the Lunkers Trail. The Legends Trail kicked off the 2025 season Jan. 22-23 at Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Florida, before traveling to Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama, Feb. Brayden Batchelor and Quinn Williams, Lake O victors in late January at Strike King Bassmaster College Series. The Lunkers Trail began competition at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston Jan. 29-30, before heading to Buggs Island in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, April 30-May 1, closing out the regular season at Chickamauga Lake in Dayton, Tennessee, May 30-31. The “Team of the Year” race can be followed throughout the season at Bassmaster.com.

Read also: The Right Path After GCSEs

Scholarship Opportunities

For anyone serious about pursuing a career in bass fishing, this type of scholarship and program is a unique opportunity. It’s not an option everyone knows about, but it could be the perfect path for someone who’s both academically and competitively driven in fishing.

Fishing scholarships can provide financial assistance to cover tuition, travel expenses, and tournament fees. However, it's important to note that the availability and structure of these scholarships can vary significantly from school to school. Some colleges fund their scholarships through local businesses, while others rely on different sources. Florida Gateway College (FGC) in Lake City started their fishing team and scholarship program after witnessing the success of a local high school fishing team. The college viewed it as a way to provide educational opportunities for students passionate about bass fishing and aspiring to a career in the fishing industry.

Factors Influencing Scholarship Awards

Having a successful track record fishing on a high school team is a big plus to get your foot in the door to fish on a college team. It’s a huge commitment for a student to divide their time between studies, practice and traveling for tournaments. Schools would rather have a team member who has been exposed to this pace, that at times can be grueling. Additionally, fishing team members will require family support, too, which is paramount. Each student must supply their own boat, truck, and insurance.

Finding the Right College

When choosing a college, the typical factors like dining and dorms matter, but for a bass angler, proximity to good fishing spots can be a game-changer. Having access to local bodies of water, especially popular tournament destinations, can make a huge difference in terms of practice and competition opportunities. According to a current student at a school with a fishing "team", scholarships aren't really a thing for fishing. Those that go to tournaments will typically have qualifiers. Not everyone gets to fish the qualifier from the boat, so it helps to own a boat or be the lucky one to get drawn as co-angler.

Key Considerations for Aspiring College Anglers:

Location: Proximity to quality fishing waters and tournament destinations.
Team Structure: Understanding whether the "team" is more like a club, the level of support provided, and the team's competitive focus.
Scholarship Availability: Researching scholarship opportunities and the criteria for eligibility.
Academic Fit: Ensuring the college offers a suitable academic program that aligns with career goals.

Florida Gateway College: A Case Study

One Florida school, Florida Gateway College (FGC) in Lake City, had two teams competing in the Strike King Bassmaster College Series tournament on Lake Okeechobee. The FGC Bass Fishing Club has some serious momentum under Coach Bryson O’Steen. His accomplishments in North Florida bass fishing and in college bass fishing are impressive, especially with back-to-back Top 5 finishes in the National Championship. It’s clear that his experience and leadership form a solid foundation for the club. Bryson is a student at the college and is poised to stay on as faculty there.

Read also: Explore CFK

Bryson’s journey began at a young age fishing local tournaments. He didn’t fish on a high school team because his school didn’t have a fishing program. After a short stint working in the trades, he made the decision to solely focus on becoming a professional angler. A senior now at FGC, Bryson said that what drew him to the college was the family atmosphere. “The college has a friendly environment and a smaller team, which is presently eight members, compared to other larger colleges that may have forty of more members on their team. The staff is super friendly and supports the students.”

Bryson knows the importance of promoting himself and his accomplishments through social media. Bryson has several sponsors, other than the ones that already support the team as a whole, and is well on his way to achieving his goal.

The fact that the FGC club is structured like a high-level athletic team gives it a unique edge, with a focus on recruiting skilled anglers and offering a platform for beginners to learn the sport. Coach Bryson and the team’s Student Activity Director, Amy Dekle, are committed to creating a strong community and providing opportunities for anyone interested in bass fishing.

I spoke with FGC Marketing Director Rob Chapman, who gave me some insight on the team and scholarship program. The FGC fishing team was started after the college saw the success of a local high school fishing team. A fishing scholarship was a way the college saw they could offer opportunities for students to get an education who were passionate about bass fishing and wanted to strive for a career in the fishing industry. Some students, however, just wanted a college degree and fishing on the team was a path to a scholarship that allowed them to seek out a career in the trades.

The FGC team received some heavyweight support from pro angler Shaw Grigsby, who hails from Gainesville, Fla. Rob and some of the other FGC staff traveled to attend high school tournaments as well as other college tournaments, so they could get an idea of how to set their program up.

“The schools’ scholarships are funded by local businesses,” said Chapman. “Every school is different in the way they structure their teams and scholarships. FGC typically accepts six to eight new applicants per year to keep the size of the team manageable and to maximize the amount of financial support available.

The FGC professors have a kindred spirt for the fishing team students and offer some classes online along with allowing students to take their school work on the road, so they can complete it in between practice and tournaments.

Balancing Academics and Competition

College bass fishing might seem like a dream come true-fishing all the time-but balancing a full academic load while competing in 15 or more tournaments a year is no small feat. The travel, the time away from home, and the need to stay on top of schoolwork in between it all definitely makes it more challenging than people might think. The FGC professors have a kindred spirt for the fishing team students and offer some classes online along with allowing students to take their school work on the road, so they can complete it in between practice and tournaments.

Launching Careers in Bass Fishing and Beyond

Some anglers competing in these collegiate series events may use their ranking, experience and notoriety as a springboard into a career as a pro angler, industry representative or media personality. Others might take other avenues-these are college students, after all. The rewards? Even if professional fishing isn’t the goal, the experience of competing in such a high-stakes, demanding environment can open doors in the outdoors industry. Whether it’s working with brands, guiding, or even becoming involved in tournament management or event planning, there are many career paths that this kind of experience could lead to.

I spoke with Kyle Zainitzer, a Palm City, Fla., resident now attending the University of North Alabama. He and teammate Brock Vogel of Ohio finished a very respectable fourth place on Lake Okeechobee. Kyle stepped up to the pro division, fishing his first Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Tournament, presented by Phoenix Boats on Lake Okeechobee, February 13-15. This was the first event of the 2025 Southern division of the MLF. Although Kyle didn’t place as well as he did in his last college tournament, it’s still an extremely valuable experience.

There are many colleges across the county which have a fishing team and scholarships available. Several of the students I spoke with have their sights set on becoming a professional angler, but they also understand it’s important to have a backup career plan as well. In Kyle Zainitzer’s case, he’s planning to continue his education in grad school, switching his major from marketing to finance. “Even if I don’t make it in the pro circuit, fishing with my college team has been one of the best times of my life,” he said.

College support varies from school to school, with most supplying funding for travel, accommodations, food, and tournament entry fees, but additional family support for these teams is just as essential. Kyle’s parents routinely open their home and pantry to Kyle’s teammates when they compete on lakes close to home. “The parents of the young anglers have formed a close relationship,” said Kyle’s mom, Linda. “Actually, more of a support group to deal with the pressure and anxiety of not knowing how your child is doing in the tournament until they return to the weigh-in.”

High-Profile Events and Organizations

The three major organizations-Association of Collegiate Anglers, Bassmaster College Series, and Major League Fishing Abu Garcia College Series-offer well-organized, high-profile events that attract hundreds of teams. The fact that these trails offer valuable points for school-of-the-year rankings adds an interesting layer of competition, not only between the anglers themselves but also between schools. It’s interesting that college bass fishing isn’t officially recognized as a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sport, but the fact that the Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) oversees it still gives it a structured and competitive framework. The addition of major sponsors like MLF, B.A.S.S., and BassPro Collegiate makes it feel like a serious sport in its own right, with the points tallying system for School of the Year honors helping to elevate the level of competition across schools.

Top Bass Fishing Colleges

We surveyed all 2009 National Guard FLW College Fishing anglers in the country on their clubs, their schools, their fishing lifestyles and more, and we scored the results based on the factors we thought most important for a college angler: proximity to bass fisheries, tournament opportunities, club activities, etc. We also interviewed club officers and tournament winners. Some of these colleges host clubs that are long-established, with active members and crowded meetings. Others are new, but their passion for the sport and proximity to great fishing water are sure to draw talented anglers in the future. Here are some of the top bass fishing colleges:

North Carolina State University: Home to the BassPack, with access to thousands of acres of prime fishing water.
Auburn University: Hosts the Southern Collegiate Bass Fishing Series and offers access to various Alabama lakes.
University of North Carolina - Charlotte: Minutes from Lake Norman and other Yadkin River chain lakes.
Virginia Tech: The Bass Fishing Team of Virginia Tech has tasted success on a national scale, having won a major national championship in 2007 and a National Guard FLW College Fishing Northern Division event in 2009.
University of Wisconsin - Madison: One of the earliest established college clubs, with access to the Madison chain of lakes.
Georgia College and State University: Close to Lake Sinclair, Oconee National Forest, and other fishing spots.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point: Offers a strong natural resources program and access to multispecies fishing.
Murray State University: Situated at a newly pulsing heart of professional bass fishing. Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are stars of the tournament-fishing world.
Clemson University: Surrounded by rich bass fishing heritage and several lakes.
Georgia Southern University: Anglers will fish as boaters and co-anglers in four qualifying events within Georgia.
University of North Alabama: Club members are reimbursed for travel costs by the school, are minutes from Wheeler and Pickwick lakes, and less then three hours from Kentucky Lake and Lake Guntersville.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater: Located halfway between Madison and Lake Michigan, Whitewater is within driving distance of the top fisheries in the state for a variety of species.
Southern Illinois University: Campus is surrounded by small reservoirs and limited-horsepower lakes, making it a great place for fishing out of a budget-priced johnboat.
University of Tennessee - Knoxville: Campus overlooks the headwaters of the Tennessee River at the upper end of Fort Loudon Lake.
Purdue University: Founded in 1992 by pro Shad Schenck, the Purdue Bass Club was one of the first college bass clubs in the nation.
Tarleton State University: Tarleton State won the first-ever National Guard FLW College Fishing event at Falcon Lake.
Indiana University: Also one of the first schools to start a college club in the nation, they competed against Purdue in what was likely the first college bass tournament.
Kansas State University: Waterfowl, deer and walleyes combine with bass to offer students great hunting and fishing close to campus.
Texas A&M University: The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences offers several majors geared toward fisheries, tourism and environmental sciences for future fishing industry professionals.
University of Louisville: Louisville is an urban campus, but within reasonable distance of clear mountain impoundments, timber-filled reservoirs, major rivers and lowland impoundments.
Texas State University: The San Marcos River runs through campus, Lak…

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