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Shelby County’s Mason Carden is the newest member of the University of Montevallo’s bass fishing program, fulfilling a longtime dream to compete in college after years of success with the Wildcats. (Reporter Photos/Andrew Simonson)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

COLUMBIANA – One of the best and brightest anglers in the county won’t have to go far to continue his bass fishing career as Shelby County High School senior Mason Carden is set to fish for the University of Montevallo.

Carden signed his letter of intent to go to Montevallo on Wednesday, April 16 at the Shelby County High School library in front of an audience of his family, friends, teammates, coaches and supporters.

“It means the world,” Carden said of signing. “I started this eight years ago going on this road and I haven’t turned back since. I haven’t regretted it. it means the world to finally, reap the fruits of my labor and be able to have this opportunity. I never thought I’d be here.”

For Carden, the moment is full-circle to him as it comes four years after another big signing day for the Wildcats with Kai Barnett. Carden had to miss that ceremony, but his father told his son that his own moment would come.

It turned out to be a manifestation that even has Carden in disbelief.

“I still can’t believe this day’s here,” Carden said. “We had planned it beforehand and all that, but I can’t believe I’m really living this moment. Four years ago, Kai Barnett signed in that right chair and I missed his signing, unfortunately, but Dad looked at me and said, ‘You’ll sign. You ain’t got to worry about it. You ain’t missing nothing. You’ll get it.’ And it’s great to think that he’s right.”

Carden has become one of the top anglers in Shelby County, competing with Morgan Carden as two of the four Wildcats at the 2024 High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, S.C. this past June.

Morgan and he finished 12th in the National Championship and 24th in the World Finals, helping to put Shelby County High School’s name on the national stage alongside Brody Holliman and Aiden King.

Now, Carden has a chance to continue that standout career at one of the top fishing programs in the entire country, and it’s the one that just so happens to be a couple of towns over in Montevallo.

The Falcons have quickly established themselves as a collegiate bass fishing dynasty, winning the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year title for the fourth-straight year in 2024 while competing in some of the top tournaments in the country.

One of their former anglers, Minnesota native Easton Fothergill, also went on to win the 2025 Bassmaster Classic, the top individual prize in professional bass fishing.

That sets the bar high for Carden, but he cherishes the opportunity to live with other dedicated anglers who can help him raise his game and compete for top honors like the Bassmaster College Classic Bracket without him having to go more than 30 minutes from Columbiana.

“I like how close it is to home,” Carden said of Montevallo. “I like the connections that I’ll get. The programs just built up so well that I thought it would just best fit me. I would be in a room full of people that love the sport just as much as I do. So, I just I think I thought it would fit.”

Carden thanked many of the people in attendance, including God, his family for seeing his love of fishing and supporting it financially and emotionally, his teammates and coaches Heather Keller and Courtney Long for their help and National Scouting Report’s Larry Perrin and Montevallo coach William Crawford for giving him college opportunities.

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