Americana Outdoors E-Magazine - June 2021

COLLEGE BASS FISHING - THE FOUNDER & THE FUTURE Q&A BUFF® USA recently sat downwithWadeMiddleton, the Founder of the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship and Ryan Park, an up-and-coming angler competing in the series representing Murray State University. What’s the best part of being in your shoes as tournament director?

Seeing the anglers being able to chase and fulfill dreams after they graduate. As I look back now on over 15 years of doing this it’s amazing to me how many of the kids we’ve met through the series are either fishing at a pro level or working in the industry. I think watching them chase their dreams and feeling like we had a small part in opening doors for them to be able to meet others and chase those dreams has been the most fulfilling part of all the things we’ve done in college fishing. Most unique use of BUFF® Multifunctional Headwear you’ve used one for? The higher end quality of the product. By that I mean the fabric and how well it stands up over time. So many of the cheaper models/brands out there are thin, stretch out and basically fall apart. I’ve still got several of the Original models that BUFF® created for college anglers and they are just as functional now as the day I got them. Morning or evening bite? Morning Large mouth or Smallmouth? Large mouth Favorite or unique on-the-water snack? Cold Smoked Venison Sausage Longest run just to catch a fish during a tournament? 2 plus hours It’s 2040, will your bass boat have an electric motor? Probably so or I’ll be sitting on a dock retired drowning a minnow.

Wade Middleton - Founder

What inspired you to develop the Collegiate Bass Fishing Series? I’ve been asked this before and to be honest it was a more of a group of us that felt that there was a hole in the fishing world or shall I say a lack of opportunities for anglers in that age class to be able to compete against others of the same age. It made sense to tie it into the collegiate landscape so that like minded types could come together and both compete and enjoy fishing. As time progressed I just sort of ran with the concept and worked to create a series that anyone who fishes it felt it was worth their time.