San Antonio, TX (August 8, 2024) – The 2024-25 season of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series is the 20^th anniversary for the Association of Collegiate Anglers. The second stop of this historic season, the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open, will be contested at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR on October 12-13, 2024.  This ACA major tournament is a no-entry-fee, double points event which will feature media coverage on a variety of streaming platforms, live coverage, social media promotions and is nationally televised on several networks.

The no-entry-fee AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open will feature a total payout of over $20,000 in prizes and contingencies. Along with the valuable prizes, teams will be eligible to earn double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. The ACA’s second event of the 2024-25 season will be a key event in determining the Top 25 teams in the nation entering the second half of the season.

Register for the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open

“The 20^th season for the ACA is a great celebration for collegiate bass fishing, our organization, and the many series partners,” said Wade Middleton, ACA Director and CarecoTV President. “As the second ACA major event of the 2024-25 season, the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open will be a very exciting event to compete in, attend, and watch.”

In 2023, the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open set a new attendance record for this event. Close to 500 of the top collegiate anglers, nearly 250 teams, traveled to Russellville, AR to compete at Lake Dardanelle.

“The first half of the 2024-25 season is always a great start to the fall semester for college anglers,” noted Kyle Curry, ACA Managing Director. “Central Arkansas is a beautiful area to travel to that time of year, and the fish will be positioned in high percentage areas for anglers to get a lot bites.”

As mentioned earlier, the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open is the second event on the calendar for the ACA’s historic 20^th season. From day one, the ACA has strived to bring expansive media coverage to share the achievements of the competitors on the trail, as well as provide exposure and brand awareness to the companies and products that partnered with the organization. Our goal since that first event was to provide major events without an entry fee or membership, while also providing programs to help more anglers get on the water and pursue their passions. Throughout the 2024-25 season, the ACA is excited to celebrate its 20^th anniversary. This is a major milestone for the organization, student anglers, and series partners. Over the next 12 months, the ACA will be introducing new programs, promotions and features across digital media, as well as look backs at some of the great moments that have occurred over the years.