DAYTON, Tenn. — When you’re tossing back 4-pounders, it’s a sign you’re dialed in. That was the case for Gage King and Banks Shaw from the University of North Alabama, who brought in a two-day total of 54 pounds, 10 ounces to claim the Strike King Bassmaster College Series title on Chickamauga Lake, presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Both juniors studying geography, King and Shaw entered Day 2 in second place with 27 pounds. They followed up with an impressive 27-10 limit, overtaking Day 1 leaders Dalton DeFelice and Evan Ludlow from the University of Montevallo by 4 pounds, 11 ounces.
“It never goes like that out here for us,” Shaw said. “Usually, you’ll a big bite and several solid bites and then you’ll have a really good bag. We had a big bag the first day, but it was mainly a 9-6 that helped us.
Today, it was all solid ones, and we were fishing the same stuff. Yesterday, we had a 3 1/4, a 3 1/2 and a 3 3/4 in our bag that we couldn’t cull. Today, our smallest was a 4 1/2-pounder, and we threw back some 4-pounders. It was pretty crazy.”
Ledge Fishing Pays Off in Deep Water
Focusing on ledges and bars in 15 to 25 feet, King and Shaw targeted small, overlooked schools of bass. Their day started strong with a 7-pounder and a full limit by 8:30 a.m.
They relied heavily on a Strike King 10XD crankbait in Citrus Shad and Green Gizzard to ignite schools early. After the initial bites, they transitioned to finesse presentations for precise follow-ups.
“With the crankbaits, we changed angles on the fish. We got a couple of key culls by showing the fish a different look from what they’d seen,” King said.
“With the football head, we changed the cadence. We’d work it like a spoon, then slow down. The more active presentation was best.”
Their finesse setup included a Damiki rig with a 3/8-ounce Picasso tungsten ball-head jig paired with a 6-inch Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ, and a 3/4-ounce Picasso football jig tipped with a Zoom Super Speed Craw.
A Critical Adjustment Seals the Deal
Even after a strong start on Day 2, King and Shaw knew they needed more to secure the win. A timely adjustment helped them find fish in an unexpected spot.
“After catching our limit, we went to one of our main areas from yesterday and the fish weren’t there,” Shaw said. “So, we just started bouncing around and checking new stuff, because I knew those fish would set up at some point and I didn’t want to waste time sitting there.
While we were looking, we stumbled across a school that hadn’t been there all week. My local knowledge told me they should be going there, and we just happened to look at it at the right time and we caught two of the fish we weighed in there.”
DeFelice and Ludlow Finish Second with Big Day 1 Bag
Dalton DeFelice and Evan Ludlow of Montevallo claimed second place with a total weight of 49-15. Their 29-7 on Day 1 was the heaviest single-day limit of the tournament. Day 2 produced a more modest 20-8.
“We fished the same midlake area we fished on Day 1,” DeFelice said. “It was a 5- to 6-acre area, but there was a 400-yard stretch where it went down.”
In practice, they located bluegill beds in 7 to 8 feet of water while scanning offshore structure. When their ledge bite faded, they focused on the shallow bedding area instead.
Key baits included a Strike King 10XD crankbait and a custom-painted Biggs Denali glidebait. On Day 2, they caught a fry guarder on a 1/8-ounce jighead with a 5-inch Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ, while the glidebait accounted for most of their catch.
“I would look at my (Garmin) Livescope and watch for active fish,” DeFelice said. “If it was swimming fast, I knew it ready to eat, so I would try to cast the glidebait ahead of the fish and work the bait in front of him.”
UNA’s Heard and Brewer Round Out Top 3
Fisher Heard and Hunter Brewer, also from the University of North Alabama, took third place with a two-day total of 42-15. They weighed in 17-10 on Day 1 and surged with 25-5 on Day 2.
“We spent both days at the dam and fished rock piles in 8-10 feet,” Heard said. “We just stayed in the (tailrace) all week and fished anything that would break the current.”
Their baits of choice were a 1/2-ounce Davis Baits scrounger paired with a Rapala CrushCity Freeloader, and a dropshot rig with a 4 1/2-inch Zoom Finesse Worm. A pivotal 8-pounder anchored their second-day weight.
“We never really expected to have 25 pounds; we were expecting 15-18,” Heard said. “It just turned out that there were a lot of big fish there. It’s just about getting the right bites at the right time.”
Big Bass and Final Notes
King and Shaw’s 9-6 largemouth earned them the Big Bass award for the tournament.
The event was hosted by Fish Dayton, highlighting Chickamauga Lake’s reputation as one of the top bass fisheries in the country.
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
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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.
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