Top lures: 2025 College National Championship

Changing conditions allowed for a variety of different patterns to unfold during the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship at Cherokee Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops. It also provided the playing field for the first overtime period ever in College Series history.

When the scales closed on Saturday afternoon, two teams were tied at the top of the leaderboard with 43 pounds, 3 ounces. Lander University’s Andrew Blanton and Garrett Smith and Carson Newman University duo Andrew Turner and James Sumrell returned to the water for the first sudden-death fish-off in College Series competition.

Within the first five minutes, Blanton and Smith found a rockpile holding bass close to takeoff and landed a 2 1/2-pounder to claim the victory and punch their ticket to the College Classic Bracket presented by Lew’s.

Blanton and Smith become the first team since the inception of the College Series to win multiple National Championship titles. They did so in back-to-back fashion after winning in 2024 at Lake Hartwell.

The dog days of summer can be a tough time to bass fish, but it is also a unique time where new and interesting patterns can develop. Find all the tackle and lures you need for summer exploration at Bass Pro Shops, including the baits these Top 12 teams used at Cherokee Lake. Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.

Zach Wolfe/Brayden Ruckman, Carson-Newman University (12th place; 25-9): Wolfe and Ruckman used three presentations to notch a Top 12 finish at Cherokee Lake.

A 6.25-inch Clutch Eco glidebait coaxed several key bass into biting. They added two suspend strips to the bottom of the bait to allow the bait to reach bass in deeper water.

For finicky fish, they rigged an OSP Saikoro Dice on a drop-shot rig with a 1/2-ounce weight.

A Nichols Ben Parker Mini-Magnum Flutter Spoon also triggered important strikes.

Luke Wenger/Braxon Hightower, Dallas Baptist University (11th place; 32-14): Three baits played into Wenger and Hightower’s offshore strategy.

A 6th Sense Strobe Shaker Minnow paired with a 1/2-ounce VMC jighead produced important bites.

They also pitched a 5-inch 6th Sense Flutter Spoon around docks and to bigger smallmouth.

Around wood, they tossed a 1/2-ounce custom jig paired with the 6th Sense Bodega trailer.

Easton Drennon/Chase McCarter, Carson-Newman University (10th place; 33-1)

To trigger reaction strikes, they used this Fish 30acre Chop Shad in the zombie shad color.

When using their forward-facing sonar, the duo tossed a Torrent Outdoors Stone Roller rigged on a 1/4-ounce Bass Pro Shops XPS jighead.

A 4-inch Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ paired with a 3/8-ounce Queen Tackle tungsten jighead was a key bait as well.

Phillip Herring/Parker O’Bryan, University of Montevallo (9th place; 35-14): The majority of O’Bryan and Herring’s bites came on three baits.

A 4.5-inch True Bass swimbait rigged on a 1/2-ounce or 3/4-ounce True Bass jighead was their go-to bait in current driven spots.

A 1/2-ounce ballhead jig paired with a Black Label Bug Jr. trailer coaxed quality bass into biting.

This 5-inch Black Label Cliff Pace Hi Roller Minnow paired with a 3/16-ounce jighead was key when using FFS.

Brody Robison/Peyton Sorrow, University of Montevallo (8th place; 36-4): Robison and Sorrow focused mainly on offshore areas to claim a spot in the top 10.

A 7.2-inch Cast Fishing Co. Echo rigged on a 1/4-ounce Queen Tackle jighead was one of their most productive presentations.

They also used this Cast Fishing Co. prototype worm on a 1/4-ounce drop shot.

The Yo-Zuri Bullet Crank was their best bait for generating reaction strikes.

Dayne Kobriger/Camden Kozikoski, Drury University (7th place; 37-6): This Drury duo used shallow and offshore techniques to make Championship Saturday.

The duo pitched a Strike King Baby Z Too paired with an 1/8-ounce Queen Tackle Live Sonar jighead to bass they could see on forward-facing sonar.

A Nichols flutter spoon generated several key strikes.

This Berkley Bullet Pop 70 triggered bites early in the morning.

Skyler Stevens/Grant McCraney, Faulkner University (6th place; 38-4): Stevens and McCraney utilized three techniques to notch a top finish.

The duo earned reaction strikes with a 6-inch Nichols Flutter Spoon.

A Megabass Vision 110+1 was also productive in offshore areas.

This Berkley Bullet Pop 70 produced strikes in low light conditions.

Click here to buy these lures at Bass Pro Shops.

Luke Davis/Kaden Raichel, University of Montevallo (5th place; 39-7): Davis and Rachiel used one key bait around current to catch the biggest bag of the tournament and notch a top five.

The Montevallo duo tossed a 5.5-inch True Bass swimbait on a 3/4-ounce jighead.

To give the bass a slightly different look, they also threw a 4.5-inch True Bass swimbait on a 1/2-ounce head.

Bryce Dimauro/Tripp Berlinsky, University of North Alabama (4th place; 41-11): This UNA team rotated between three different swimbaits to claim a top five and overall Team of the Year honors.

Their primary presentation was a 6-inch Scottsboro Top Hook Swimbait.

When they needed a kicker bass, they tossed a discontinued 9-inch KGB Legend glidebait.

A 4-inch Deps Sakamata Shad rigged on a 1/8-ounce jighead matched the smaller baitfish profile they found in Cherokee.

Jacob Berryhill/Zach Knight, Carson-Newman University (3rd place; 42-12)

The Carson-Newman duo dragged a 1/4-ounce Strike King Bitsy Bug paired with a Zoom Speed Craw.

They pitched a Southeast Tackle Technique Worm on a 3/8-ounce custom shaky head.

They also threw the Technique Worm on a 1-ounce Carolina rig.

Andrew Turner/James Sumrell, Carson-Newman University (2nd place; 43-3): Turner and Sumrell moved back and forth between shallow and deep water on Cherokee Lake.

A Clutch Darter glidebait trigged better than average bites.

For roaming bass, they tossed a Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ on a 1/4-ounce tungsten jighead.

They also pitched a 1/2-ounce Queen Tackle Tungsten Flipping Jig paired with a Zoom Z-Craw Jr. around wood cover.

Garrett Smith/Andrew Blanton, Lander University (1st place; 43-3): Smith and Blanton kept things simple to win their second National Championship trophy.