SHREVEPORT – For the second straight season, LSU Shreveport can say they are a top-10 program nationally in the final Association of Collegiate Anglers Bass Pro Shops School of the Year standings.
The Pilots finished seventh in the final team standings, it’s second-best finish ever after coming in sixth this past season.
It’s a statement that says LSUS isn’t leaving the national stage anytime soon.
“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 on Lake Hartwell (Ala.) this May led by the tandem of junior Ian Carter and sophomore Mason McCormick (No. 57). Juniors Levi Thibodaux and Miles Smith checked in at No. 69 with Triston Richardson and Johnny Hudson taking No. 84.
While LSUS may be accustomed to a boat chasing the top 10 or top 20 at a national event, the finish was strong enough to solidify the solid ranking.
Nine of the 10 anglers that qualified for the ACA nationals are returning to the program.
Mix that in with a robust incoming class of eight freshmen and one transfer, and LSUS is aiming to crack the top five in coming years.
“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.
Brother Martin, Tripp Bowman and Brayden Nichols were cornerstones of Thompson’s first full class, helping the program rise from a 73rd place finish in 2021 to 20th, 15th, sixth, and now seventh in the ACA standings. Now those guys will be part of the history pages with other members of that class like Luke Batts and Matthew Nesbit.
LSUS fishes at a disadvantage from other elite programs in terms of resources and roster size in a sport where numbers matter. Teams can travel as many boats as they can afford to put on the water, and programs earn points by the number of high finishes – more boats mean more chances.
National champion Montevallo (Ala.) fields a roster of around 70 anglers, and most elite teams have 25-30 anglers or more.
LSUS fielded a 15-angler roster this season with plans to expand to 20 with this incoming class.
“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.”
Teams like Montevallo, No. 2 North Alabama and No. 3 Carson-Newman (Tenn.) are smack dab in the middle of the nation’s top fishing grounds, and big-name schools like No. 13 Auburn and No. 22 Tennessee are starting to pour more into the sport.
But LSUS, with its expanded roster and new Doc’s Boathouse, will make its cast to push even higher among the nation’s elite programs.
