At the latest stop for the DBU Bass Team, the guys traveled to Dandridge, Tennessee, for the second stop of the Bassmaster College Series on Lake Douglas. While currently sitting in 18th for the Association of Collegiate Anglers School of the Year race, these last events for the spring season are proving to be paramount to make a push into the top #10. 

The team faced a strict set of conditions on a lake that the guys had yet to travel to. Douglas, a lake on the TVA system that was 35 feet below the pool upon arrival, meant they had their work cut out for them and a chance to make their mark on stop #2.

The team of Andrew Rickman and Ty Manterola dropped an average of 14 lbs. a day to secure an 11th-place finish in a field of over 200 of the best College teams in the Nation! Ty added, " Going into the tournament, Andrew and I knew that with the low water and an over 200 boat field, the pressure would play a huge role". Andrew and Ty knew they had to capitalize on their strengths and fish clean to do well in this event. Andrew explained," Current fishing with a crankbait is my favorite way to catch them, so I knew this would set up perfectly for me." Rickman has championship experience in conditions like these, with a 2nd place finish in 2021 for the Bassmaster Wildcard on Lay Lake. Additionally, "The guys focused both tournament days on fishing current breaks with flat side crankbaits and jigs. That put them on a consistent bite to catch around 14lbs a day and secure an 11th place finish," Rickman explained.

The team of Andrew and Ty are now double qualified and are sitting high in the Team of the Year Race!

Additionally, the team of Braxon Hightower and Luke Wenger were able to make a massive jump from landing on day 1 in 66th place to dropping the largest bag of the tournament, which was 19-2lbs. and skyrocketing into 3rd place to end the event! Wenger added " We found a big school of quality fish that gave us the opportunity to drop the biggest bag of the tournament. After losing two hours of fishing to boat problems in the morning, it was a big deal that we stayed level-headed in adversity and climbed 63 spots into third." The team of Hightower and Wenger are also sitting high in the team of the year race and have double qualified for the Bassmaster National Championship!

With one Bassmaster stop left for the team at Sam Rayburn in Brookland, Texas, a lot is on the line. With two teams sitting high in the team of the year race, our minds are focused on that event. Winning Team of the Year in the Bassmaster trail means a chance to compete in the Bassmaster bracket, where one angler wins and is given birth to the Bassmaster Classic, the Superbowl of bass fishing.

At the conclusion of these events, the DBU bass team was able to jump two spots into 16th for the School of the Year Race! With only five events left in the season, we are eager to see how things shake out and how this Patriot team can etch their way into the history books of college bass fishing.