There’s a non-stop debate over which state produces the best football and basketball teams and players. There’s no debate as to which state produces the best bass fishermen. Late March has proven that Alabama owns that title, and it isn’t even close.

The past few weeks have seen Alabamians win the world’s two most important bass tournaments against the world’s best bass fishermen. To put an exclamation point on Alabama’s claim to the title, a University of Montevallo team won the collegiate Bass Masters Classic. Who did they beat to win that title? A second University of Montevallo team.

The incredible run began on March 17 when Clanton’s Dustin Connell won Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2024 championship on Lay Lake. Connell took home a cool $300,000 first-place payday. That made him the first angler to win two Major League Fishing championships. He won $300,00 for the other one, too.