SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – LSU Shreveport’s fishing program has finished in the top 10 of the final Association of Collegiate Anglers Bass Pro Shops School of the Year Standings for a second straight season.
The Pilots’ seventh-place finish is their second-best finish in program history after finishing sixth last season.
“That’s the norm now,” said LSUS Fishing coach Charles Thompson, who completed his sixth season at LSUS. “We should be Top 10 every year. If we do what we’re supposed to do, and that’s a mouthful that isn’t easy to do with 300-plus schools now, but that’s where we should finish.”
Three LSUS boats finished in the top 100 of the ACA Collegiate Bass Fishing Championships helmed by junior Ian Carter and sophomore Mason McCormick at 57th. Juniors Levi Thibodaux and Miles Smith finished 69th, while Triston Richardson and Johnny Hudson finished 84th.
“We had a pretty strong foundation with guys who got us to this point from my first class, and most of those guys will be gone with the exception of William Tew, who will be back for a fifth season,” Thompson said. “If we didn’t have those quality guys that set the foundation of how this program runs and what life as an LSUS angler is like, then we don’t score like we do now.
“We’ll see what we look like now that most of that first core class is gone, but the future is extremely bright.”
LSUS’s program is at a disadvantage in terms of resources and roster size. Teams do not have a limit on the number of boats that can participate. Programs earn points based on the number of top finishes, so the more boats, the better.
The roster of National champion Montevallo (Ala.) comprises around 70 anglers, and most elite programs have at least 25-30 anglers. LSUS’s roster included 15 anglers this season, but it plans to expand next year.
“We’re trying to get closer to those competitive roster sizes,” Thompson said. “I think 20 will be a sweet spot for us as long as we can continue to bring in quality anglers.
“The ones coming in are accomplished guys. We’ve got the Angler of the Year in both Louisiana and Texas coming in and two of the top four from Arkansas. It’ll take some time to get adjusted, but the guys that are already here certainly aren’t going to lay down for these new guys either. They’ll have to fight upstream to get our spots on the water.”
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