LSUS Fishing starts season strong in Bassmaster College Championships

LSUS Fishing starts season strong in Bassmaster College Championships

WALKER, Minn. -- All four LSU Shreveport Fishing boats finished well inside the top half at the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Championship on Leech Lake this past weekend.

Caden Williamson and Bryce Distefano were the Pilots' top pair with a 22^nd-place showing, hauling in 31 pounds in their two days.

A strong second day vaulted Triston Richardson and Johnny Hudson Jr. into 30^th with a bag of 29-1.

Hunter Hamilton and Tyler Morris also made moves on Day 2 with 15-1 of their 28-2 coming on the second day.

John Klanchar and Ian Carter posted a 25-15 to place No. 51 in the 134-boat field.

Hamilton said LSUS anglers sought the familiar large-mouth bass they are prevalent in southern lakes as opposed to chasing small-mouth bass that exist in northern lakes.

"We definitely looked for grassy cover and the large-mouth bass that we are used to," Hamilton said. "There were a lot more rocky cliffs and steep slopes than we normally see, but we were able to break down the lake together over our three practice days.

"To start the season off like this gives us a big confidence boost."

Hamilton added that LSUS anglers maneuvered wave swells that reached four feet, much different than the calm waters in the South.

Points from the event kick start the 2026-27 season while anglers qualified from the strength of their performances throughout Bassmaster events from season just ended.

Heading into the Bassmasters College Championships, LSUS finished the season ranked No. 9, its third straight season of top-10 finishes.

LSUS coach Charles Thompson said having all four boats fish well at Bassmasters is a nice way to start the upcoming season, especially in a part of the country where LSUS doesn't typically fish.

"This is probably the best start to a season that we've have at Bassmasters because this is an event that usually has our number," Thompson said. "We don't fish close to home in this event, and many times, we're having to dig out of a (points) hole because we don't fare extremely well at this championship in past years.

"We're very happy for this kind of start, and we can really use our fall tournaments to springboard us to where we aren't chasing (the leading programs) as much."

The Pilots will fish a couple of events this fall but will open the throttle in the spring as they'll rack up many of their points during the spawn (mating season), taking advantage of their expertise in shallow water with cover.

Thompson said an eager crop of five freshmen should mix well with the blend of veteran and underclassmen anglers as LSUS seeks to crack the top five nationally this season in a sport that has no divisions.

The program's consistency led to two new sponsorship deals with EVOLV Fishing and BUBBA Seaguar, which underpins the financial stability as the Pilots continue to push into the championship-level stratosphere.