News Summary
Trey Marco and Jake Rowlands of King University secured their first victory at the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Buggs Island Lake. After a challenging start, they excelled on the final day, adapting their strategies to catch crucial fish and finishing with a total weight of 38 pounds, 9 ounces. This win has qualified them for their first Bassmaster College National Championship, highlighting their potential in collegiate bass fishing. The event was competitive, with teams from various universities demonstrating their skills in a sport dedicated to the legacy of competitive angling.
Clarksville – Trey Marco and Jake Rowlands, student anglers from King University, celebrated a triumphant win at the Strike King Bassmaster College Series held at Buggs Island Lake on April 30-May 1, 2025. Their impressive two-day total weight of 38 pounds, 9 ounces secured their first victory in the College Series, propelling them to the forefront of collegiate bass fishing.
Marco and Rowlands kicked off the tournament in a challenging position, initially tying for eighth place with a limit that weighed 17 pounds, 1 ounce. However, they excelled on the final day, achieving the tournament’s highest single-day weight of 21 pounds, 8 ounces. This stirring performance allowed them to surge ahead and ultimately secure the top spot.
After the tournament, Marco, a sophomore at King University, reflected on the win as a culmination of their dedication and perseverance over time. Rowlands, only a freshman, noted that both he and Marco were relatively inexperienced boaters at Buggs Island Lake prior to this tournament, which added to the significance of their win.
While Marco had fished Buggs Island Lake previously as a co-angler four years earlier, this tournament marked a new chapter for both anglers as they adapted their strategies to succeed. Early struggles on the first day, where the duo failed to catch any keepers, forced them to rethink their fishing tactics and adapt quickly. The key to their success was shifting their focus from brushpiles to stumps, a strategy that proved effective in capturing fish.
The focus of their fishing was stumps situated in water depths of 12 feet or shallower. On the tournament’s final day, they targeted smaller and deeper stumps, which helped them land crucial catches. Their primary tools for attracting bites included a ¾-ounce bucktail jig and a Megabass Kanata Jerkbait, both of which were relatively new to their fishing repertoire prior to the competition.
Marco and Rowlands fished a densely populated three-mile stretch that featured between 50 to 70 marked stumps. Remarkably, they encountered no other boats during their fishing session, allowing them to concentrate fully on their technique and strategy without distraction.
As a result of their performance, Marco and Rowlands qualified for their first-ever Bassmaster College National Championship, which will take place at Cherokee Lake in July 2025. This opportunity highlights significant progress for the duo and underscores their potential in collegiate bass fishing.
Following Marco and Rowlands in the tournament, Emmanuel University’s team of Will Wester and Jackson Thomas completed the competition in second place with a total weight of 36 pounds, 3 ounces. They dedicated their performance to their late head coach, Pam Martin-Wells, honoring her legacy in the sport.
Easton Drennon and Chase McCarter, who led after Day 1, slipped to a third-place finish with a total weight of 34 pounds, 14 ounces. Their initial success faded over the course of the tournament, highlighting the competitiveness of the event.
Ultimately, the tournament showcased the skills of all participating teams. All top 20 teams secured their spots in the upcoming Bassmaster College National Championship, scheduled for July 10-12, 2025, setting the stage for an exciting continuation of the collegiate bass fishing season.
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Additional Resources
- Sovanow: King University Duo Wins Bassmaster College Series Tournament
- Wikipedia: Bass fishing
- The Bass Cast: Opportunities at Buggs Island College Series Event
- Google Search: Buggs Island Lake
- Sovanow: Bassmaster Brings Angling Masses to Lake
- Google Scholar: Collegiate Bass Fishing
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Bass Fishing
- Google News: Bassmaster College National Championship
Author: STAFF HERE BRISTOL WRITTER
The BRISTOL STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREBristol.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Bristol, Sullivan County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, NASCAR races at Bristol Motor Speedway, Border Bash concert series, and the Hot Bristol Night Car Show. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, Believe in Bristol, and the Birthplace of Country Music, plus leading businesses in healthcare, manufacturing, and entertainment that power the local economy such as Ballad Health, Strongwell, and Bristol Motor Speedway. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREChattanooga.com, HEREKnoxville.com, HEREMemphis.com, and HERENashville.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Tennessee's dynamic landscape.
