JUNCTION CITY - The country's top 8 college anglers will be launching from Milford Lake, September 29 - October 2nd for the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket presented by Lew's.
The anglers will be fishing for a spot in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.
The 2023 Bassmaster College Team of the Year — Easton Fothergill and Nick Dumke from the University of Montevallo automatically qualified to the College Classic and will compete against the Top 3 teams from the Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops in the individual, elimination-style tournament.
Also competing at Milford Lake are Hayden Marbut and Tucker Smith from Auburn University, Levi Mullins and Matthew Cummings from Bethel University and Brody Robison and Jack Alexander, also from the University of Montevallo.
For Tucker Smith, this is his second trip to the College Classic Bracket. He finished second by 3 ounces in 2021.
“The last time I was there, it really hurt my feelings,” Smith said of the narrow loss. “It will be good to be back and get another chance at it.”
Milford Lake is home to the Kansas state-record smallmouth, a 6-pound, 14-ounce fish caught in April 2010, and has hosted other Bassmaster tournaments, including the 2018 College Classic Bracket and the 2021 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional.
The first day of the tournament will have all eight anglers competing individually to determine their seeding based on weight of their bag.
Days two and three will be the first two elimination days of the tournament which will be broadcast on FS1 starting at 8:00am CT on Saturday and 7:00am on Sunday.
The final day of competition will be streamed on Bassmaster.com.
The winner secures a spot in the Bassmaster Classic and will also earn a paid entry into the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens, and the use of a Toyota Tundra and a Nitro Boat.