Challenging playing field awaits College Championship contenders

CollegeSeries_Championship_StrikeKing_BPSjm_Vector.pngJEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — College teams from across the country will face quite the challenge at the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Cherokee Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops according to Carson-Newman University alumni Hayden Gaddis.

“It could be brutal, honestly,” Gaddis said. “The team that wins this event will have some luck on their side if they can catch a limit every day. I could see 13 to 15 bass winning it. If a team can catch 13 or 14 pounds a day, they will blow it out of the water. Junk fishing will be big for sure.”

Tournament days are scheduled for July 10-12. Daily takeoffs and weigh-ins will be held at Cherokee Dam Boat Ramp in Jefferson City. Around 160 teams will compete in the National Championship after qualifying via the six regular-season College Series events or the college circuit of their B.A.S.S. Nation’s state championships.

The full field will compete for the first two days of the event before the Top 12 teams advance to Championship Saturday. The winning duo will advance to the College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s to fish against the top teams from each of the College Divisions trails — the Legends Trail and the Lunkers Trail — as well as overall College Series Team of the Year, which will also be decided at the conclusion of the championship. Anglers will also be vying for a spot on the inaugural Bassmaster College All-American Team presented by Huk. The top two highest-finishing teams in the Strike King Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year race as well as each team that stands atop the rankings in the Legends and Lunkers division of the College Series will receive this honor.

Tucked into the hills of east Tennessee, the Holston River impoundment has been a popular destination for tournament anglers and weekend anglers alike. The College Series last visited the lake in 2023, a weather-shortened event in early April that took over 17 pounds to win.

Cherokee is known for its smallmouth fishing, but Tennessee wildlife regulations state that anglers can only keep one 18-inch smallmouth each day from June 1 until the middle of October. The smallmouth limit, along with the summer heat, will make for a challenging setup for this National Championship.

“If you can find a way to catch one big smallmouth and four largemouth to go with it, you will be in contention to win,” Gaddis said.

Gaddis believes limits will be hard to come by, but the best way to get one or two big bites will be by throwing topwater baits and buzzbaits early in the morning. Teams in the first few flights will have the best opportunity to take advantage of that feeding window.

“Night fishing is really good this time of the year, so the early morning bite will be huge,” he said. “That is when the majority of the big fish will be caught. It is the best bite window of the day, in my opinion. If they can get lucky and catch a couple fish before that bite window shuts off on an offshore hole, that will be crucial.”

Boulder and slate rock are the predominant cover on the lake, but anglers fishing the shallows can also generate bites around laydowns, bank grass and docks. Offshore points and humps will also play a role for anglers looking to utilize their forward-facing sonar. Drop shots, Neko rigs, jighead minnows and jigs will produce good bites as well during the summer months.

With the lake at full pool, Gaddis also expects several teams will make the run up to the Sevier dam tailrace, an area that has grown in popularity over the last several years.

“I’m sure it will be very crowded up there, just because of all of the publicity it has received over the last couple of years,” he said. “This time of the year it shouldn’t be an issue getting up there. There’s a good chance someone will have a good finish up there, but it will be hard to manage fish if too many boats are up there.”

Visit Jefferson County, Tennessee is hosting the tournament.

2025 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King

2025 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops

2025 Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew’s, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

2025 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano

 

About B.A.S.S.

B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.