220 elite college fishing teams are set to compete May 21-22 in the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops on Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL
The Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is set to begin tomorrow. An elite field of close to 220 teams will compete May 20-21 at Pickwick Lake in Florence, AL. On the line this week, anglers are competing for more than $30,000 in prizes and contingencies, a National Championship title, as well as triple points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
The playing field for the Association of Collegiate Anglers' 21st National Championship event is Pickwick Lake. One of the most popular tournament fisheries along the famed Tennessee River system, Pickwick Lake will be in prime post spawn, early summer form. Read the ACA's lake preview article breaking down the current conditions.
Along with this lake preview article, the ACA interviewed the winners of the last event on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series to be contested at Pickwick Lake. Chandler Howell and Clayton Ellis from Blue Mountain Christian University won the 2025 Pickwick Slam. Tune in to EP. 250 of the Rapala #WeAreCollegiateBass Podcast to hear what they had to say about Pickwick Lake.
The Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is college fishing's longest-running National Championship event. Event participants do not have to pay an entry fee or membership fee to compete, and the overall payout for the tournament will exceed $30,000 in prizes and contingencies. View the complete prize list here.
Along with the valuable prizes and contingencies, anglers will be able to earn triple points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Every team ranked in the Top 25 is registered to compete at Pickwick Lake. The triple points available will be pivotal to defining the final rankings come the end of the season. View the current National Rankings here.
The Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is a nationally televised event that will boast a great deal of media coverage. Live weigh-in will be streamed each morning on the series Facebook page. Live blog coverage will begin early tomorrow morning, and weigh-in will be streamed live each afternoon. Keep up with all things pertaining to the 2026 ACA National Championship here.