The first event of 2023 in Bas Pro Shops’ Collegiate Bass Fishing series is in the books. The No Entry Fee ACA Double Points Main Pickwick Slam presented by Evolution Fishing saw over 200 of the top college fishing teams compete over two days on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in Florence, AL and awarded over $20,000 in rewards and contingencies. Charlie Wright and Logan Plueger took home first place with a two-day total weight of 43.83 pounds. Top-25 ranked University of North Alabama’s Tyler Finley and Lane Lassiter took second, and Montevallo anglers Miller Dowling and Parker O’Bryan finished in third.
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Each of the top 10 teams in the final tournament standings automatically qualifies as the exact pair of anglers for the 2023 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, SC.
Charlie Wright and Logan Plueger of number one ranked University of Montevallo entered Day 2 in first place after weighing in at 21.74 pounds on the tournament’s first day of competition. The duo improved on their Day 1 weight by gaining 22.09 pounds on the final day. Over two days, Wright & Plueger weighed in a total of 43.83 pounds. That total was good enough to edge out the next best-finishing team by more than five pounds.
By winning this no-entry ACA event, Wright & Plueger earned more than $4,500 in prizes and contingencies. Those prizes include a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card, $1,000 Garmin Credit, Bob’s Machine Shop 10” Jack Plate, two Evolution Fishing Tackle Backpacks, two 13 Fishing Concept A Reels and more. The Montevallo fishermen also claimed the $500 ACA logo contingency. Along with valuable prizes and contingencies, the pair’s first-place finish earned them 1,750 points to count toward the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
Claiming second place in the nationally televised Pickwick Slam presented by Evolution Fishing is University of North Alabama’s Tyler Finley & Lane Lassiter ranked in the top 25. The local duo from the host city of Florence, AL found themselves in 13th place after Day 1 weighing in at 16.87 pounds. Finley & Lassiter drastically improved their weight by gaining 21.07 pounds on the final day. Combined with their Day 1 weight, the UNA anglers finished the event with a total weight of 37.94 pounds. This second place win earned them an $800 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card, two Evolution Fishing Tackle Backpacks, two 13 Fishing Concept A Reels and more. The total second place payout was valued at over $1,600.
Finishing the event in third place are Miller Dowling and Parker O’Bryan, also from number one ranked University of Montevallo. The team moved up from 8th place on Day 1 to finish the event in the top 3. At 20.45 pounds on Day 2, Dowling & O’Bryan finished with a total weight of 37.92 pounds. Third place paid out over $1,400 in prizes. Dowling also claimed the $500 Garmin tournament rewards for being the top-finishing Garmin user. In addition to prizes and contingencies, third place paid 1,730 points toward the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.
Montevallo University scored the most points of all the teams that competed in the Pickwick Slam presented by Evolution Fishing. The two Top 3’s combined for a total of 3,480 points for the school’s season total. Entering the event in first place with a lead of over 3,000 points, Montevallo’s gap will widen from second place. The ACA will release an updated ranking for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia next week.
The Association of Collegiate Anglers would like to extend a special thank you to all of their series partners for their support of these college anglers, and to the host site of Florence, AL for their help and hospitality this week.
About the Association of Collegiate Fishermen
The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) is a division of CarecoTV that was created to facilitate growth, development and structure within competitive collegiate bass fishing, with an emphasis on nationally competitive events. The ACA created the original BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Series 18 seasons ago. That one event has become the Bass Pro Shops College Bass Fishing Series, which is now recognized as the longest running consecutive College Bass Fishing Series in existence.
The ACA owns the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, Bass Pro Shops School of Year Presented by the Abu Garcia Program, and associated assets. ACA’s lineup of major college angling events includes a variety of tournaments across the country that are multi-day tournaments, all of which are televised on various networks, as well as broadcast on a variety of connected platforms. The ACA also supports numerous schools that host regional events across the country, helping to increase exposure and awareness of college angling.
Thanks in part to the wide diversity of media exposure provided by the ACA, the series has the most televised and broadcast coverage of any college fishing series. This includes a dedicated television series on numerous television networks and streaming platforms, as well as additional coverage of select events within other programs. This mix includes coverage from the Discovery Channel, CBS Sports, the Pursuit Channel, as well as other regional and national networks. You can also find anytime online coverage of past events thanks to coverage on OutdoorActionTV.com and PursuitUp.com
For more information on the ACA or the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, visit www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com. For more information on Bass Pro Shops, visit www.BassPro.com. For more information about CarecoTV, visit www.CarecoTV.com.