San Antonio, TX – Each Association of Collegiate Anglers event awards an Overall Big Bass award to the largest fish caught during that particular tournament. The winner of the Overall Big Bass title receives a certificate for a Power-Pole, a close to $1,500 value.
During the most recent nationally televised, no-entry-fee ACA event, Hunter Jenkins from Top 25 ranked Dallas Baptist University won Overall Big Bass at Lake Dardanelle with a largemouth bass weighing 5.78 pounds.
“To win Big Bass, especially at Lake Dardenelle, feels amazing to say the least and almost like there’s a monkey off my back,” noted Jenkins. “Not only did we win Big Bass for this event, but just knowing that we found a tournament winning group of fish…was a major confidence booster for us.”
The DBU angler and his fellow teammate opted to fish one of the many pad fields that are abundant at Lake Dardanelle. Jenkins relied on big gear and heavy line to help him land the prize winning fish.
”In practice we found an area within a pad field that had a heavy concentration of fish living in it and we knew they were of higher quality. Initially we had fished it fairly fast in practice with buzzbaits and caught a few 2 pounders so we left it until the tournament day,” explained Jenkins. “In order to not only stick the fish, but also get them out of the pads, we had to switch to running 30 lb. Sunline Xplasma Asegai braid on a heavier rod.”
Each ACA major event pays out well over $20,000 in prizes and contingencies. The Power-Pole Big Bass award has been a staple on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series for many years. The angler who weighs in the biggest bass of a given tournament receives a Power-Pole gift certificate. Prize payouts like the Overall Big Bass allow anglers to up their game and equip their boat with top-notch products.
“The opportunities from the ACA and all of the awesome companies they partner with, like Power-Pole, are truly a blessing, especially for the anglers like me who maybe don’t have all of the best equipment to compete against everyone,” said Jenkins. “By winning the Power-Pole, my opportunities to compete on a more level playing field, especially in shallow water fisheries, just increased significantly. Overall, winning the Power-Pole is a true blessing and I know not only me, but almost every other angler competing in these tournaments are truly grateful for these opportunities!”
About the Association of Collegiate Anglers
The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) is a division of CarecoTV that was created to facilitate growth, development, and structure within competitive collegiate bass fishing, with emphasis on competitive events nationwide. The ACA created the original BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Series 19 seasons ago. That single event has evolved into the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, which is now recognized as the longest-running consecutive collegiate bass fishing series in existence.
The ACA lineup of major college fishing events includes a variety of tournaments nationwide that are multi-day tournaments, all of which are televised on several networks, as well as streamed on a variety of connected platforms. The ACA also provides support to numerous schools operating regional events nationwide which helps to grow the exposure and awareness of college fishing.
The ACA owns the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, Bass Pro Shops School of Year presented by Abu Garcia program, and associated assets which is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and prestigious collegiate bass fishing title today.
Thanks in part to the large diversity of media exposure the ACA provides, the series boasts the largest amount of televised and streaming coverage of any collegiate fishing series. This includes a dedicated television series on numerous television networks and streaming platforms, as well as additional coverage of select events inside other programs. This combination includes coverage from Discovery Channel, CBS Sports, Bally Sports, Pursuit Channel, as well as other regional and national networks. You can also find coverage online at any time of past events thanks to coverage on OutdoorActionTV.com and PursuitUp.com
For more information on the ACA or the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, visit www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com. For more information on Bass Pro Shops, visit www.BassPro.com. For more information on CarecoTV, visit www.CarecoTV.com.
