What happens when you take 82 competitive students from 24 colleges from the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC and SEC and bring them to one of America’s top bass fishing lakes, toss in some rough weather, add colorful commentary by top professional anglers and dangle $25,000 in prize money for scholarships?

You get the BoatUS National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, which will air starting January 10 at 8 P.M. EST on the Fox College Sports Net and will continue for six months. Each 30-minute show will also repeat each week at 8 A.M. and 8 P.M. on Sundays.

The first open-invitation co-ed tournament in emerging sport of collegiate angling, the Championship was held October 19-21 on Lake Lewisville, TX, just outside Dallas. The three-day tournament got off to a rough start when some blustery weather came on the first day, causing anglers to change tactics and adapt their fishing styles to the wind-swept lake.

The full field of 41 teams fished the lake for the first two days of the competition. However, only five teams with the most weight accumulated on days one and two advanced to the finals on day three, after which bragging rights as the best fishing school in the country were safely bestowed – but you’ll have to tune in to find out who took home the money.
 

“We had all of the fanfare of any major college sports championship, but it’s these kids and their stories that really make this show special,” said Mike Pellerin, director of the BoatUS Angler program and the show’s main sponsor.

TV fishing personality Wade Middleton hosted the event with Bass Master Classic and FLW Tour champion Luke Clausen, Bass Elite and FLW tour angler Kelly Jordan, and Bass Elite tour angler Jeff Kriet providing analysis.