Eggerding qualifies for REDCREST on Guntersville
The Toyota Series Championship Presented by Bass Boat Technologies was a celebration of the young talent in fishing, with 21-year-old Hayden Marbut earning the win and locking in an appearance at Bass Pro Shops REDCREST 2025 on Lake Guntersville, his home lake. While Marbut is on his way out of college fishing, there was some actual Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI action in play on Wheeler Lake – Adrian College teammates Braylon Eggerding and Lucas Washburn were fishing against each other to see who would make REDCREST themselves.
In the end, in an event marred by all sorts of mechanical difficulties for the pair, Eggerding finished 151st and came out on top. Now, he’s headed to REDCREST with a payout of $300,000 on the line, where he’ll be fishing against Marbut again as well as the likes of Jacob Wheeler and Matt Becker.
Equipment issues derail the Toyota Series Championship showdown
Between them, Eggerding and Washburn had enough problems for a few years of fishing at the Toyota Series Championship. Between about every kind of motor issue you can have plus slinging prop ears and losing fish, the two never really had a chance in the event.
After ending the last day of practice with his alternator going out, the service crews got Eggerding patched up and ready to go for Day 1. Despite motor troubles all day, he managed 10 pounds.
“Tournament morning, I ran down to my first spot down by down by Ingalls,” he said. “I had no issues in the morning. I got there, and I go to start my motor after I’d passed through there quick, and it just wouldn’t turn over.”
Eventually, Eggerding got the boat running (although not well from the sounds of it) and was able to catch fish and get back.
“It was a cluster, but it always managed to go,” he said. “But, I was just happy that I was able to figure it out and go on with my day, and I scrapped up what I could.”
That same day, Washburn had a tough slog of fishing, only landing one 4-pounder, and he blew his powerhead, resulting in a goose egg on the scoreboard.
On Day 2, Washburn fished near the ramp on the trolling motor and Eggerding headed back down the lake.
“After Day 1, I kind of figured it was gonna be me, but thought I’d still need to catch a fish or two, and I couldn’t get anything going,” Eggerding said. “I broke off two big fish and missed a couple on a jig. I was pretty scared still that it wasn’t gonna pan out, but it did. Once again, just kind of a total crapshoot, but I’m excited.”
Of course, as you’d expect at this point, Eggerding didn’t have a smooth Day 2 on the mechanical side of things, slinging a blade on his prop and only making it back to the ramp thanks to a loaner from Isaac Peavyhouse.
“I was very grateful for the guys at the service trailer,” Eggerding said. “I know it wasn’t pretty, but they took care of me. They’re really nice.”
Between the two young anglers, only Eggerding weighed fish, and only 10 pounds on Day 1. Still, he’s headed to REDCREST.
Guntersville is up next
Last year, Dalton Head and Peyton Harris had pretty tough sledding in the Toyota Series Championship, but come REDCREST, Head impressed, going toe to toe with the big dogs on his home pond and finishing 12th. While Eggerding won’t have a local advantage, the soon-to-be 21-year-old professional sales major is looking forward to the challenge.
“It’s pretty mind-blowing,” he said. “Like, just a couple of years ago, that’s my dream to get there, and now it’s here. I’m pretty ecstatic about it. It hasn’t really set in yet, just because of the way it happened. It wasn’t the outcome that Lucas or I wanted. But one of us was gonna go, and I’m just excited — I really am just super excited.”
Adrian College’s fishing program is the real deal, with scholarships and lots of school support, and Eggerding wouldn’t be in this position without college fishing.
“It’s fully funded, everything like that,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. I love it here. We had a good year last year, and we’ve been off to a really slow start this year, but we’re looking to turn that around. I definitely still think it’s one of the places to be for sure.”
While Eggerding has been hitting the books hard to make up for lost time, he’s already trying to put together plans to make it down for practice.
“I’d never been to Guntersville until our off day in between our practice and the tournament,” he said. “I went out there just because you can’t lock, so it was free game to be out there. I just putzed around and idled around out there. That was my first time ever seeing the lake even.
“I’m definitely going to go down there at least once,” Eggerding added. “I’m gonna try to make it twice. We’ll have Thanksgiving break coming up here and then winter break. But for sure once for a couple days just to get a lay of the land and see what I can see.”
One nice thing about REDCREST being in April is there’s a good chance the fish will be shallow, and the format should put a lot of things in play. So, it should be a pretty fun event.
“I like fishing shallow a lot,” Eggerding said. “Especially that time of year, springtime around the spawn, throwing a ChatterBait, a [lipless], that kind of deal. That’s my favorite.
“And I’m excited for the format,” he added. “I’ve never fished that kind of format. So, I’m really excited for the change and just to see how all that goes. I’m going to have to read up on all the violations and whatnot for sure, though — I love me a boat flip.”