RUSSELLVILLE, AR (October 11, 2025) – Day 1 of tournament competition has concluded at the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. An elite field of more than 280 teams took to Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR to compete in the no-entry-fee, nationally televised, double points event. Anglers found a great deal of success on this Arkansas River fishery for the second stop of the 2025-26 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series.

Mat Higby and John Foster Case from Arkansas Tech University weighed in a five bass limit for 19.87 pounds to stake claim to the Day 1 lead. That Day 1 weight bests 2nd place by just less than one pound. Higby & Case won the 2022 AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open contested here at Lake Dardanelle. They will be going out in 1st place tomorrow, looking to claim this major event title for a second time.

Sitting in 2nd place are Brayden Jordan & Ryder Krueger from Troy University. The pair brought in a Day 1 weight of 19.08 pounds. A bass weighing 5.53 pounds anchored their five fish limit. They will enter the final day just less than one pound behind the top overall spot.

Rounding out the Top 3 are Mason Carden & Grant Laney from 2nd ranked University of Montevallo. A Day 1 limit weighing 19.00 pounds has them sitting in 3rd out of the more than 280 boat field. The pairing of Carden & Laney are one of three teams in the Top 10 for Montevallo, as Thomas Turnbull & Dylan Sorrells are in 7th, and Miller Dowling & Mason Kornegay are currently in 10th.

View the complete Day 1 standings.

A total of three limits over 19 pounds were brought to the scales during Day 1 of tournament competition at the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. Anglers found a great deal of success out on Lake Dardanelle. 1st through 28th are separated by approximately five pounds. This means that there are numerous teams with a chance to make significant moves in the standings tomorrow.

Following the conclusion of tournament competition tomorrow, the ACA will payout the Top 30 teams in the final standings, awarding more than $20,000 in prizes and contingencies. The Top 10 will earn automatic qualification into the 2026 Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. Teams will also be eligible to earn points for their two highest-finishing teams inside of the Top 150.

Coverage and updates will continue on the ACA website and social media channels. The live blog will begin again tomorrow morning, along with weigh-in being live streamed starting at 1:00 PM.