DECATUR, Ala. – Major League Fishing (MLF), in conjunction with Decatur Morgan County Tourism , announced today that the 2025 Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship will take place on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama, April 9-11, 2025.
“The decision to bring the MLF College Fishing National Championship to Decatur underscores our commitment to showcasing our region’s natural resources and fostering partnerships within the sports tourism industry,” said Danielle Gibson, President and CEO of Decatur Morgan County Tourism. “We look forward to a successful event that benefits our local economy and community.“
The 16th annual College Fishing National Championship will mark the second time the three-day tournament has been held on Wheeler Lake and will showcase the nation’s top collegiate bass anglers.
“Major League Fishing is excited to be returning to Wheeler Lake, a legendary bass-fishing destination, for the 2025 College Fishing National Championship,” said Kevin Hunt, MLF Senior Director of Tournament Operations . “The lake’s diverse and challenging waters will provide the perfect stage for the nation’s top collegiate anglers to showcase their talents and passion for the sport. We’re looking forward to an exciting event.”
The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship will showcase the top teams from the 2024 MLF College Fishing season competing for a top prize of $43,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat powered by a 115-horsepower outboard and $10,000 in cash. The winning team will also advance to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros for a shot at winning as much as $235,000. The highest finishing team member at the Toyota Series Championship will advance to REDCREST 2026 to compete against the top professional anglers in the sport for a top prize of $300,000.
The second-place team at the 2025 College Fishing National Championship will receive a Phoenix 518 Pro boat powered by a 115-horsepower outboard. The team also advances to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros. The third-place finishers at the 2025 College Fishing National Championship will receive $4,000, and the team advances to the 2025 Toyota Series Championship as co-anglers for a shot at winning a new Phoenix 518 Pro powered by a 115 HP Mercury or Suzuki. Every team in the top 10 at the 2025 College Fishing National Championship will receive at least $1,000.
Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI teams compete in nine regular-season qualifying tournaments across the country to qualify for the championship. The top 12 percent of teams from each qualifying event advance to the following year’s College Fishing National Championship.
The 2025 College Fishing National Championship will air on CBS Sports in the fall of 2025. Weigh-ins from each day of competition will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com along with the final day’s competition at the championship. The complete schedule and rules for the 2025 College Fishing season will be announced this fall.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, General Tire, GSM Outdoors, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
