Anglers Finish Top-10 at TBF Collegiate Championship
Lake George, NY ~ Four Paul Smith's College anglers took part in the The Bass Federation (TBF) Collegiate State Championships based out of Mossy Point on Lake George over the weekend.
The two PSC teams of Brenden Lucia (Jefferson, MA)/Collin Trapiss (Macedon, NY) and Mason Coburn (Colchester, VT)/Finn Rugg (Hinesburgh, VT) braved cold mornings of 25-30 degrees F each day which turned into beautiful midday weather for the practice round on Friday and tourney day on Saturday.
Head coach Brett Wimsatt spoke of the conditions and the trends throughout the weeekend.
"Practice went well but we couldn't consistently find big smallmouth or largemouth - the quantity was there but the quality was lacking," said Wimsatt.
The two boats performed on tourney day like they practiced, with dozens of bass caught, but only a few that were deemed keepers over the three-pound mark. The duo of Lucia/Trapiss came in fourth place with 12.8lbs while the duo of Coburn/Rugg finished sixth with 10.6lbs.
"It was emotional, closing out my college bass fishing journey with the state championship on Lake Geroge," said Brenden Lucia, a senior who has been on the bass team for four years.
"Couldn't ask for a better final chapter - every cast was a memory made, and every fight with a fish was a reminder of how far we've come," he added.
The tournament marks the end of the 2024 bass fishing season. The team will start up again in the spring as they continue to compete against teams from all over North America on lakes and rivers in the United States.
You can follow the bass team on Instagram at @pscbass or check out the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, schedules, highlights, photos, and much more!
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