UNC Charlotte bass fishing reaches Bassmaster College National Championship

Four Niners competed in college bass fishing’s national tournament, the Bassmaster College National Championship, July 10-12, on Cherokee Lake outside of Knoxville, Tennessee.  

Charlotte had two teams of two at the tournament. Joe Lutz, a junior construction management major, and Jake Monti, a senior marketing major, placed 67th overall. Matthew Norton and Ian Schroeder, both sophomore construction management majors, finished 127th of the 154 teams that qualified. Lutz and Monti were in the top 20 following the first day of action where they hit the five bass limit, weighing a total of 13-pounds, three-ounces. 

Lutz said sharing the water with elite competition — all of whom had a top 10% tournament finish during the season to qualify — was thrilling even if they didn’t get the results they hoped for. 

“On the second day, we had the bites but it felt like nothing could go right,” Lutz said. “Ending the season that way definitely has us fired up and ready to make it back next year!”

Members of the Charlotte Bass Fishing club competed in three tournaments in the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College Series: Lake Okeechobee (Clewiston, Florida), Buggs Island, (Mecklenburg County, Virginia) and Chickamauga Lake (Dayton, Tennessee). Lutz and Monti and Norton and Schroeder qualified for the College Championship at Lake Okeechobee, pulling in a combined 56-pounds of largemouth bass, finishing 17th and 18th respectively.