In the thrilling world of bass fishing, the Columbia PFG College Fishing Presented by Abu Garcia circuit is a dependable battle royale, offering a three-day championship-level tournament. The 2026 College Fishing National Championship on Lake Murray has been a testament to this, with five of the last seven trophies won by a mere pound and a half, and three by a mere ounce. As the dust settled after Day 2, the battle royale is set for another round, with the LSU-Shreveport duo of Levi Thibodaux and Miles Smith taking the lead with a two-day total of 48-2. Matthew Dettling and Cody Domingos of the University of Tennessee jumped from ninth to second with 47-11, closely followed by Matthew Knopp and Logan Russell of Lander University (47-0) and the Carson-Newman University team of Zach Wolfe and Brayden Druckman (46-13). James Dubose and Dylan Milam of Montevallo University (46-12) rounded out the top five.
The defending national champs Peyton Sorrow and Brody Robison of Montevallo finished Day 2 with 46-11, meaning six teams will head onto Lake Murray on Saturday within 2-1 of the lead. Thibodaux and Smith, both raised in the shallow waters of southeast Louisiana, caught the majority of their key fish early in the day, but connected with a couple of slightly heavier 4-pounders later in the day to push them 1 ounce shy of the 22-pound mark. With a half-dozen teams bearing down on the final day within roughly 2 1/2 pounds, Thibodaux and Smith will be looking to hold serve and possibly split the difference between their Day 1 and Day 2 weights. The top 10 teams include the LSU-Shreveport duo, followed by the University of Tennessee, Lander University, Carson-Newman University, and Montevallo University teams. The battle is intense, and the final day promises to be a thrilling spectacle.
