TYLER, Texas — Kayden Profitt and Cason Ragsdale from East Texas Baptist University recently won the Major League Fishing College Fishing National Championship.
On the final day, Profitt and Ragsdale caught five bass weighing 14 pounds one ounce. The tournament was held at Fort Gibson Lake in Oklahoma, but the duo met up with Chief Meteorologist Brett Anthony to discuss the tournament at Lake Tyler.
According to Ragsdale, the first day of the tournament was warm and sunny but by day three, the weather took a colder turn; the temperature had dropped to 31 degrees and the north wind made the fishing fierce for the ETBU team.
“We caught five fish on day one, four fish on day two, and then five fish on day three. It wasn't like we just caught a ton of fish. But with the ones we call it just were the right ones," said Ragsdale as he summed up the three day tournament.
When all those fish were weighed, the total weight for the three day tournament was about 43 and half pounds, which was enough to win the title.
"Words can't even really describe what that means to me personally. And to the program. I mean, we've been talking for the last three years, about how the the one thing that the program really needed was a national championship title," said Profitt.
Ragsdale described how much the ETBU team has dreamed of winning the title at the tournament.
"We've always talked about winning a national championship. So it's just amazing. I mean, it's still sinking in. I've said it a million times since we've won, but it's still sinking in that it actually happened," added Ragsdale.
Ragsdale and Profitt both fished in high school at rival schools in East Texas, with Ragsdale attending Winnsboro while Profitt attended Mount Vernon. When they got to ETBU, they found their East Texas ties gave them similar approaches to bass fishing. This similarity helped them apply their strategy throughout the season, and eventually winning the national title.
Profitt explained that by unifying their efforts and mirroring them, they have a better chance of catching bass.
“Usually, we throw different baits that complement each other, we won't hardly ever be throwing the same thing. Unless there's only one bait, we can get bit on," explained Profitt. "Usually if I'm throwing something faster, he's slowing down and fishing on the bottom. Or if I'm slowing down, he's doing something a little faster.”
Even though the two undergraduates took home the top prize, they were quick to point out how it was a team win. East Texas Baptist University was the only school with two teams in the top 10.
"Yes, we were the team from ETBU that won it, but ETBU won the national championship, not because any of us that were there on the team could have won it. It wasn't," explained Ragsdale. "It wasn't like we just were more capable or whatever, we just kind of got on the routine and and it just worked for us worked out in our favor. But we had another team in the top 10. And they could have easily won it just as much as we did."
The ETBU program is only in its fifth year. The win earns the school a boat and motor package worth $33,000. Profitt and Ragsdale also earn a spot in this fall's Toyota Series Championship.