When Bass Coach Todd Gill began recruitment of anglers in the spring of 2020 for the Wabash Valley College Bass Team, he had hopes of building a program where anglers could grow in the classroom and be seen on the water by top level programs on the collegiate bass circuit. The afternoon of Friday, February 11th, those hopes and dreams became a reality. Sophomore angler Drew Gill made his verbal commitment official as he signed a national letter of intent to finish his college education and college fishing career at Campbellsville University located in Campbellsville, Kentucky. Gill has played a major role the past two seasons in putting the two-year community college on the collegiate bass fishing map. In their inaugural season, Wabash Valley College finished 20th in the nation in the Association of Collegiate Anglers, School of the Year race.
Drew is the son of Dr. Todd and Tracy Gill. He was born in Newburgh, Indiana but has been raised in Mt. Carmel, Illinois his entire life. For as long as Drew can remember, he has always enjoyed fishing. His Dad spoke about one of his first memories of Drew catching a fish. "I was a chiropractor for fifteen years prior to retiring to teach full-time at Wabash Valley College. I made the decision to take Thursdays off from the office so I could spend a day through the week at home with my kids. One of those first Thursdays was an early spring day. We went to Red Hill State Park for a picnic and some bank fishing. With a bobber, a torn-in-half worm, and snoopy-like fishing pole, Drew caught one of his first fish. I wouldn't say he was hooked at that moment, but he was pretty excited." From the age of 9-13, Drew spent many of his weekends on a baseball diamond playing travel baseball with local friends. His passion for baseball was traded for a love for the water and fishing during his teenage years. In addition to his father, several people had an influence on Drew, helping his love for fishing to grow. Tanner Arnold, a friend of the family, began taking Drew to Newton Lake where he learned how to flip, punch, and frog fish for bass. Twenty-pound bags were commonplace for Drew and Tanner while fun fishing at Newton and East Fork Lake through the summer months. Drew subbed some in the Newton Winter League with Kelly Kight as well. The two had big bass in one event and had a lot of fun fishing together. Later in his teenage years, Drew joined his father in becoming a member of the Hanging Rock Bass Club. When Drew was old enough to drive himself, it was common for Drew to be the last one to leave meetings where he would stay and talk fishing with long-time members Joe Walker and Dale Hosmer. His sophomore year of high school, Drew found out that some of his classmates had joined a new high school fishing team that formed in the area, the Lawrenceville Lunkers. Drew missed out the first season but was determined to join his junior year. Like Ralphie from the movie Christmas Story, Drew began dropping hints that he wanted to get a bass boat to fish out of. The fall of 2018, they made that dream a reality. Drew, with the help of his parents, and Don Price of First National Bank, purchased a 2001 Ranger Comanche 520VX. Drew had been mowing lawns since he was 12 years old so the income of mowing would become loan payments on his first bass boat. His first high school event was on Lake of Egypt, March 30th, 2019, with the Illinois Bass Nation High School Series. After a tough practice on Friday and fishing without a partner on Saturday, Gill put together a solid first tournament weighing in a full limit at 12.34 lbs., good for 4th place. The love and passion for fishing was already there, but at that moment, the desire to become a better tournament angler was born. Gill missed much of his senior year tournaments due to COVID. COVID would not keep him off the water though. Kate Ackerman, who has been like another grandmother to Drew, had a summer condo near Kentucky Lake. While tournament trails were shut down, Drew and his Dad would pack enough food for several days, load up with truck and boat fuel, and head to Kentucky Lake for two to three days of learning and social distancing. In his signing at Campbellsville, Drew commented that he likely would not be where he was at today, without the opportunities that was afforded him by Kate and his time at Kentucky Lake. Fast forward to September 2020, the Wabash Valley College Bass Warriors were fishing in their first major event on the collegiate bass series with the Association of Collegiate Anglers. A COVID re-schedule of the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash, held on none other than Kentucky Lake. Dad, now Coach of Drew and the Wabash Valley College Bass Warriors sat quietly through period one...period two...period three… and still no anglers from the team had weighed a keeper fish in for the day. In period four, with less than a minute to spare, Drew came running up to the weigh-in missing a flip-flop that broke on the way up to the weigh-in area. He had with him a 4.39 lb. smallmouth that he caught in the final 30 minutes of the period. That fish would be good enough for 3rd place in the period and 11th place overall on the weekend. While the Big Bass Bash was a one fish tournament, it offered Gill some confidence that he might be able to compete at the college level. The final event of the fall 2020 season was held on a stingy Lake Dardanelle. Gill partnered up with Zebulon Frasure for the first time of the season and the two managed to have a solid finish together, 40th out of 148 teams. Winter months passed and Gill and Frasure teamed up at Lake Hartwell for the first of four events on the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series. The duo had 24 lbs. 7 oz. good for 31st place out of 260 boats. They would finish 16th on the season in the Team of the Year race on the Bassmaster College Series which qualified them for the National Championship held on the St. Lawrence River in August 2021. In Drew's first Major League Fishing Abu Garcia College event, he and Zebulon Frasure finished 24th on Table Rock Lake. They followed that event up with a 3rd place finish on Lake Guntersville to qualify for the MLF National Championship which is scheduled to be held in March 2022 on Ft. Gibson Lake. Other highlights for Gill include a 25th place finish in the Association of Collegiate Anglers Boat US National Championship on Lake Murray, 14th place in an MLF Abu Garcia College event on the Mississippi River, 40th on the St. Lawrence River at the Carhartt Bassmaster College National Championship, 28th on the Detroit River and 32nd on Lake of the Ozarks, both MLF Abu Garcia College events. Most recently Gill and freshman angler Jonah Potts finished 6th in the Strike King Bassmaster College Series event on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Florida weighing in 40 lbs. 1 oz. in the two-day tournament. That event had a field of 250 boats and qualified him and Potts for the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship. When asked about his experience at Wabash Valley College, Gill commented, "My time at Wabash Valley College has been invaluable. Coming out of high school with less experience than most, I have been provided so many opportunities at Wabash Valley College to be on the water learning and competing than I likely would have been given at colleges that had more established anglers in place. In my two years at Wabash Valley College, I have competed in eighteen major events and seven small invitationals and have hardly paid anything for my travel; the college and our team sponsors have pretty well covered all of the fuel for my truck and boat and our lodging. Wabash Valley College has afforded me an elite college opportunity, without the elite college price tag." Wabash Valley College provides significant scholarships for their anglers, bringing tuition costs to around $2,000 per calendar year. Gill will exit Wabash Valley College with over 60 credit hours completed towards his Bachelor Degree in Business, which he plans to complete while at Campbellsville University. Probably most impressive about his time at Wabash Valley College, he will transfer to Campbellsville with zero student-loan debt. Gill advised those considering fishing in college, "Give Wabash Valley College a look. You won't be disappointed in the opportunities afforded to you to get valuable experience and time on the water. And if you compete well, coaches from four-year schools are going to give notice as it is an apples-to-apples comparison…you are fishing the same events that they are, so you are given the opportunity, numerous opportunities to prove yourself to coaches and anglers from other schools." Gill is excited about his future with Campbellsville and already has established friendships with many of the anglers on their team. Gill will finish out the spring and summer fishing with Wabash Valley College. His final event with the Warriors will be the Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship in August. Coach Todd Gill spoke clearly at Drew's signing about how appreciative he was of the opportunity that was being afforded by the college and their team sponsors for the anglers at Wabash Valley College. When Gill tried to speak of Drew as his Dad, words didn't come out as easy. An emotional Gill stated he was extremely proud of how hard Drew had worked to get where he was at today. Drew's mother, Tracy Gill, was asked for a comment about Drew's signing with Campbellsville. "I knew from a very young age that he had a passion for the sport of fishing, and I believe God has given him a unique skill set to match his passion. I am thankful for the opportunities he has had at Wabash Valley College and am now looking forward to what is to come at Campbellsville and beyond." Gill has a busy spring schedule with Wabash Valley College and will be getting some valuable experience on the professional circuit as well, fishing as a boater in four Toyota Series events this spring and fall. Gill expressed his gratitude to Wabash Valley College and the team's numerous sponsors, to his teammates, and to his family members that have supported and encouraged him while at Wabash Valley College.
Those interested in learning more about the Wabash Valley College Bass Team can visit www.wvcwarriorathletics.com, click on Club Teams and select Bass Fishing. High school anglers that have an interest in a campus visit can fill out the recruiting questionnaire and Coach Gill will contact them to discuss the team and schedule a campus visit. You can also keep up with WVC Bass Team news by following them on Facebook @WVC Bass Team and on Instagram @wvcbassteam.
Drew Gill (center) with Campbellsville Head Coach, Tony Miracle (seated left), WVC Bass Coach Todd Gill, and Assitant Coach Anne Blevins (seated right). Numerous Campbellsville Bass Anglers were present for the signing.
L-R: Campbellsville Head Coach Tony Miracle, Drew Gill, WVC Head Coach Todd Gill, and Campbellsville Assistant Coach Anne Blevins.
Drew Gill and Coach Tony Miracle exchange a handshake following his signing of his letter of intent to fish with Campbellsville University beginning in August 2022.
Drew Gill pictured with is family that were present at his signing. L-R: Rachel Gill, Tracy Gill, Drew Gill, Katelyn Norton, Rebekah Gill, and Todd Gill.
Drew with a bass when he was 6 years old with friend of the family, Tanner Arnold.
Drew was hooked on bass fishing at a pretty young age.
Drew and his Dad, Todd Gill have enjoyed much time on the water together.
This was just the second smallouth caught by Gill in his life and was caught on the east side of Kentucky Lake. The smallouth surpassed 6 lbs. Smallmouth have since become one of Gill's favorite black bass species to chase after.
Drew Gill and Chevvy Wood with a top-ten finish weighing in a solid bag of fish on Rend Lake in a National Youth Fishing Association event in 2019. Drew fished for the Lawrenceville Lunkers in high school for two years.
Drew Gill in the spring of 2020 with incoming recruits Hunter Michl and Colin King. These six smallouth bass were caught in a thirty minute time-span on one of Drew's favorite fisheries. Lake St. Clair located near Detroit, Michigan.
Drew made a big splash in his first college event by catching this 4.39 lb. smallmouth bass. The bass was good for 3rd place in period four of day one and ended up being the 11th largest bass of the big bass event.
Zebulon Frasure and Drew Gill finished 31st out of 260 boats in their first Carhartt Bassmaster College Series event at Lake Hartwell. They had a two-day weight of 24 lbs. 7 oz.
Gill and Frasure finished 24th in an MLF Abu Garcia College event on Table Rock Lake with a single day limit weighing 13 lbs. 11 oz.
Drew Gill and Zebulon Frasure finished 3rd out of 162 teams in an MLF Abu Garcia College event on Lake Guntersville. This finish qualified them for the MLF National Championship which is to be held this March on Ft. Gibson Lake in Oklahoma.
Drew Gill and Zebulon Frasure with a 25th place finish out of 169 boats at the Association of Collegiate Anglers Boat US National Championship. They had a two-day total of 22.23 lbs.
Gill and Frasure finished 14th at the MLF Abu Garcia College Series event on the Mississippi River. This was a three fish limit tournament and their three smallmouth weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz.
Gill and Frasure finished 16th in the Team of the Year race on the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series. This qualified them for the National Championship that was held on the St. Lawrence River out of Waddington, New York. Gill and Frasure had a two-day total of 31 lbs. 0 oz. good for 40th out of the 125 boats competing for that Bassmaster National Championship.
Drew Gill and Zebulon Frasure kicked off their sophomore season with a 28th place finish in an MLF Abu Garcia College event on the Detroit River. Their one-day total weight was 17 lbs. 3 oz.
Zebulon Frasure and Drew Gill finished 32nd out of 149 boats at the MLF Abu Garcia College event on Lake of the Ozarks. They were a keeper shy of another top ten finish on the MLF series.
Jonah Potts and Drew Gill recently finished 6th out of 250 boats on the first Strike King Bassmaster College event of the 2022 season. They had a two-day total of 40 lbs. 1 oz. which was good enough to qualify Potts and Gill for the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship.
Zebulon Frasure and Drew Gill pictured with Drew's Mom, Tracy Gill, at their awards banquet in May of 2021. Drew and Zebulon were awarded Team of the Year for Wabash Valley College for the 2020-21 season. They were the top finishing team for Wabash Valley College in ten major events for the season, playing an important role in the school's top 20 finish in School of the Year.
In winter months, Gill loves to sneak down south to get in some salt water fishing. Pictured with Drew here is his cousin, Ryan Gill. They have a little sneak hole south of New Orleans full of big ole red fish like these.
Gill outside of the Chapel on the campus of Campbellsville University. This was taken while on his campus visit in November 2021.
Gill and his Dad got a little fishing in on Lake Cumberland the day after his college visit. They pulled off a largemouth/smallmouth double-up in this picture.
Gill pictured in his signing with his family at Wabash Valley College in the spring of 2020. Gill was among the first three signed the inaugural season at Wabash Valley College.