Elite Field of College Anglers Set to Compete in the 2020 AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open
A Full Field of 150 of the Top Teams in Collegiate Bass Fishing will Compete for Two Days on Lake Dardanelle to Win Valuable School of the Year Points and $20,000 in Prizes & Contingencies
RUSSELLVILLE, AR (October 9, 2020) – The 2020 AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR is set to begin tomorrow morning bright & early. Beginning at 7:00 AM, the full tournament field consisting of 300 of the top collegiate anglers in the nation will launch out onto the Arkansas River impoundment. Those 150 teams will be looking to sack up their best five bass limit each of the next two days in hopes of claiming their share of the $20,000 in prizes & contingencies up for grabs at the second major ACA event of the 2020-2021 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series.
In just over 12 hours, we will start to get a better idea for just exactly how well Lake Dardanelle is fishing right now. Throughout the course of official practice, anglers reported catching numerous fish in the three pound class range. “I think that someone who can manage to catch 15 pounds each day will be right up there near the top,” said Jake Shelton from the University of Arkansas. A 15 pound limit would mean that the average weight of each fish would be three pounds.
Each of the last two years, during the fall, it has taken a two-day total of approximately 28-30 pounds to claim the overall top prize at the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. On Day 1 of last year, a team representing Snead State Community College in Alabama weighed in just over 17 pounds to claim the early lead. In order for a team to reach that benchmark this year, it will take a quality kicker fish over the four pound mark.
Drew Gill from Wabash Valley College found one of those difference makers during practice. Look for several fish of that quality to be brought to the scales tomorrow here at Lake Dardanelle State Park.
Follow this link to read the full lake preview article posted on our website earlier this week.
Along with trying to claim top prize and head home with a boat load of prizes & contingencies, anglers will be competing for valuable points to aid their respective school in the race for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The winning team will earn 1,000 points for their school, and each college will earn points for its two highest finishing teams inside of the Top 100. The AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open will be a crucial event in the year-long race to be ranked the nation’s number one school.
Entering this event, Murray State University sits in 1st Place with a total of 5,490 points. The team from Murray, KY orchestrated a strong month of September. Dalton Kelly’s victory at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley on Kentucky Lake helped to bolster the schools 2020-2021 campaign. Chasing close behind in second, less than 50 points out of first, is Adrian College.
View full standings here.
14 of the Top 16 teams in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia are set to compete here at Lake Dardanelle this weekend. Look for the race to become even more competitive as the fall portion of the 2020-2021 season draws to a conclusion overt the course of the next few weeks.
Live coverage of the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open will begin tomorrow morning prior to the 7:00 AM launch via the live blog on our website. The first flight of boats will then be due back in to the State Park at 3:00 PM. Keep tuned in to our website and social media channels to follow al of the action from Russellville, AR and Lake Dardanelle the next two days.
