SAN ANTONIO, TX (October 7, 2025) – This upcoming weekend, the Association of Collegiate Anglers will contest its second event of the 2025-26 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open is set to take place at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR on October 11-12. Over 280 of college fishing’s most elite teams will be making the trip to Lake Dardanelle to compete for more than $20,000 in prizes and contingencies, as well as double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

Lake Dardanelle is located along the Arkansas River in Russellville, AR. The fishery stretches 50 miles and is comprised of 315 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is lined with a variety of wood cover, lily pads, shallow vegetation and much more.

Last year, during the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open, anglers found great success getting bites out on Lake Dardanelle. Anglers reported stable, slightly cleaner water, as well as significantly more vegetation. Each of these factors contributed to the increased success anglers had.

Given the abundant shoreline cover, many anglers will be flocking to the bank in search of feeding fish. A combination of topwaters, moving baits, and soft plastics will be used to get bites. Last fall, there was a strong topwater bite each morning. As the day progressed, anglers then utilized a combination of crankbaits and soft plastics along the main river channel and around deeper structure.

Weather patterns are setting up to be fairly similar to what we’ve experienced in years past. There is a slight chance for rain early in the week, then forecast projections show it to be mostly sunny and warm the remainder of the week. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80’s. The stable conditions will allow anglers to pattern fish through practice, with hopes that those patterns will hold during tournament competition.

The Association of Collegiate Anglers would like to thank the Russellville Tourism & Visitors Center for their support in bringing this event to Lake Dardanelle and Russellville, AR. The city, lake, and surrounding area are a beautiful destination to visit this time of year. And the hospitality shown to our tournament organization and the anglers makes everyone feel right at home!