The Wabash Valley College Bass Fishing Team hosted its fall invitational on Thursday, September 18, at Kentucky Lake. The event drew teams from several prominent programs, including Murray State University, the University of North Alabama, McKendree University, and Simpson University.
Murray State University anglers Mark Bixler and Ty Reynolds claimed first place with a five-fish limit weighing 17.21 pounds. All 30 members of the Wabash Valley College (WVC) Bass Fishing Team competed in the event, and several pairs made strong showings on the water.
Leading the charge for WVC were Caden Pearson and Ty Leak, who secured second place with a bag totaling 16.71 pounds. Their success came from trusting instinct and experience rather than sticking to a rigid plan.
"We started the day on LBL points but didn't have any luck," said Pearson. "So we ran south into Blood River and fished stumps and crappie stakes. We targeted the less obvious contours—brush piles that only held one or two fish—and caught our keepers on ¾ oz jigs."
Ty added, "Caden and I practiced for a couple days with not a whole lot of luck," said Leak. "We decided we were just going out fishing with no real plan on tournament morning. Caden remembered a spot he found in the past where we got on a good brush pile bite and found there were quality fish in the piles. We got second, and ultimately that's what led us to the success we had in the Big Bass Bash as well."
Finishing close behind in third were Brody and Braci Ault, a sibling duo from WVC who weighed in 15.33 pounds.
"We tried scoping and fishing brush piles all morning and it wasn't working out," said Brody. "We found some fish but couldn't get them to commit. In fishing, you have to lean into your strengths when it's tough—so that's what we did. In the last hour, we found dirty water, rock, and bait, and went to work on them."
Braci added, "While Brody scoped, I dragged behind him with a chatterbait. It worked a few times, but not enough. We made the call to fish our strengths, even though we weren't 100% sure the fish were there. Fortunately, they were, and we caught them good!"
Just behind them in fourth place were Sam Ausbrooks and Grace Olsen, who brought in 15.23 pounds.
"Going into the tournament, I knew there was going to be a topwater bite that would play," said Ausbrooks. "I ran LBL current bars and banks the first hour, but didn't find any keepers. Then I started targeting LBL stumps and brush. After catching one keeper and breaking off another, I shifted to the main lake brush. I caught my limit quickly and culled twice in the last four hours." Ausbrooks also provided information on how he caught his limit. "I caught all my fish on a free rigged 6th Sense Bodega with a ½ oz Jigshack free weight and a Gamakatsu hook."
WVC angler Hunter Russell earned top individual honors by winning the Big Bass Award, hauling in the tournament's largest fish—a kicker weighing 5.18 pounds.
"At 1:30, we didn't have a single keeper," said Russell. "We pulled up on a current-related hard spot full of bait. After hitting the first hump, I caught a 4.5-pounder, then followed it up with the 5.18-pounder that took big bass honors."
The invitational not only showcased WVC's depth but also served as a valuable tune-up for the rest of the fall season. Competitors earned points toward the 2025–26 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year standings, making every cast count.
Written by: Emmarie Bires, WVC Radio/TV and Digital Media Student
Braci Ault and Brody Ault
