Editor’s note: Since announcing the date and location for the 2024 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, it has been brought to the attention of B.A.S.S. officials that those dates conflict with the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Leech Lake presented by SEVIIN. Since many anglers are set to fish both events — and since B.A.S.S. officials want anglers to have as many competitive opportunities as possible — alternate dates are being explored for the College Championship. As soon as new dates are set, an update will be published on Bassmaster.com.
ANDERSON, S.C. — B.A.S.S. officials announced today that the 2024 national championship for the wildly popular Bassmaster College Series will be played out on the waters of Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina. The 2024 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops will showcase the nation’s best college anglers Aug. 22-24.
Anglers will launch from and weigh in daily at Green Pond Landing and Event Center in Anderson as they scour the lake’s 56,000 acres of water and more than 960 miles of shoreline for three days to bring Hartwell’s biggest bass to the scales to claim the title of national champion.
“We’re so excited to host the Bassmaster College Series National Championship in Anderson County, Green Pond Landing and Lake Hartwell,” said Visit Anderson Executive Director Neil Paul. “The leadership of Anderson County has provided us with a championship-caliber facility in Green Pond and the resources to recruit events such as the national championship.
“The college angler is the future of our sport, and with the youth movement taking place among the Bassmaster Opens and Elite Series, there has never been a more exciting time to be a college angler,” Paul continued. “We look forward to welcoming the anglers, the teams, and their families to Anderson County, where the hospitality is second to none.”
Lake Hartwell is no stranger to Bassmaster events. In 2023 Hartwell hosted a Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX event, the Bassmaster Junior National Championship, the Strike King Bassmaster High School Championship and the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance. Later in 2024, the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Hartwell presented by SEVIIN will be held Oct. 10-12.
Playing host to four Bassmaster Classics, Lake Hartwell borders South Carolina and Georgia and is located on the Savannah River seven miles below the point at which the Tugaloo and Seneca rivers join to form the Savannah. Hartwell is regarded as one of the Southeast’s largest and most popular recreation lakes and boasts largemouth, smallmouth and a large number of 5- to 12-pound striped bass.
As many as 130 teams of anglers representing universities across the nation will compete in the event. Beginning this season, the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops recently announced a new two-division format — the Legends Trail and the Lunkers Trail — with three tour stops each in an effort to help meet the booming demand for college teams to compete. There will now be more priority placed on the Bassmaster College Team of the Year standings to qualify for both the National Championship and the College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s.
Qualifications are based on stops at Lake Murray in South Carolina, Kentucky Lake in Tennessee and Michigan’s Saginaw Bay in the Legends Trail, as well as stops at Clarks Hill Reservoir in Georgia, Tennessee’s Douglas Lake and Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Texas in the Lunkers Trail.
“We are proud to offer collegiate anglers the opportunity to cap off their season with a shot at the national title on the waters of Lake Hartwell,” said Glenn Cale, tournament manager for the College, High School and Junior Series. “The fishery, community and facilities of Anderson certainly make for an unforgettable experience for these exceptional young anglers.”
The 2024 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is being hosted by Visit Anderson.
