Wabash Valley College Bass Coach, Todd Gill, is excited to announce the signing of Lucas Hodge for the 2026–2027 collegiate bass season. Hodge signed on Saturday, October 18^th at the Salem High School Bass Bingo Night in Salem, Illinois.

Lucas is the son of James and Jill Shipley of Salem, Illinois. He is a senior at Salem Community High School. He competes in the ICASSTT Series in Illinois, the IHSA State Series, and has also competed in some Major League Fishing High School and Bassmaster High School events. His best finishes include 1^st place at Clinton Lake, 2^nd place at Newton Lake, and 4^th place in the IHSA State Tournament at Lake Shelbyville. Lucas has fished competitively for four years. His planned major is diesel technology. His primary goal for fishing in college is to learn as much as possible and become a better angler and he would love to compete for angler of the year. Hodge's favorite lake to fish on is either Kentucky Lake or Clinton Lake. Outside of fishing, Lucas enjoys hunting. He would like to thank his parents for supporting his passion for fishing and he would also like to thank Josh Morris and Mike Russell who have helped greatly in his progression in the sport. Hodge is excited about his opportunity to be a part of the Wabash Valley College Bass Team.

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 juniors and seniors 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.