Student Angler Federation

Calloway County Hosts First Froggyland Bass Fishing Classic

HighSchoolFishing.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:21:07 +0000

The first Froggyland Bass Fishing Classic was a complete success as 16 teams of anglers registered for the competition. Cool, windy conditions did not hamper the event as teams from eight schools in Illinois, Tennessee and Kentucky competed to hook the big ones on Kentucky Lake at the May 12 tourney.

Sponsored by Calloway County High School and Froggy 103.7, the first place trophy, as well as the traveling team trophy, went to CCHS’s own Bracken Robertson and Dillon Starks with a total weight of 15 lbs. 5 oz. The split school team of Holhauser from Anna-Jonesboro, IL and Strack from Lyon County, KY came in a close second and the team of Cooksey and Finley from CCHS followed with a respectable third place finish.

Robertson also netted the Big Bass award with a 5 lb., 2 oz. beauty. Other schools giving the Calloway team a “run for the money” included Marshall County and Reidland respectively.

Click Here for the Final Standings.

The Calloway County Fishing Club would like to thank all its great sponsors, as well as the volunteer boat captains and parents who made the final high school fishing event of the school year a resounding accomplishment!

Ohio High School Fishing State Championship Set For June 9

HighSchoolFishing.org — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:51:19 +0000

PONCA CITY, Okla. (May 14, 2012) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, the Ohio Bass Federation, and the Gallia County Convention & Visitors Bureau will host the 2012 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Ohio High School Fishing State Championship. The championship will be on Saturday, June 9 on the Ohio River. The launch will be out of the downtown ramp (public use ramp) located near Gallipolis, Ohio.

The championship is a two person team event for students in grades 9-12. Registration for anglers and their “coach,” who will provide the boat they compete in, is online at HighSchoolFishing.org. Check-in begins at 5:30pm EST on Friday, June 8 at the Gallia County Convention & Visitors Bureau in Gallipolis, Ohio, with a mandatory rules briefing at 7pm EST. We highly encourage all teams to preregister online or by phone in advance to avoid late registration fees.

“We are so excited to be hosting the second annual SAF Ohio High School Fishing State Championship in Gallipolis,” Executive Director of the Gallia County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bob Hood, said. “The majestic hills paint a beautiful backdrop as the stunning waterways open the door for a unique adventure in this southeastern Ohio town. We are making every effort to make sure this experience is a memorable one!”

Students and parents can go to HighSchoolFishing.org for details on the Student Angler Federation (SAF) and to sign up. Cost is only $25/ year and includes full TBF and FLW Outdoors benefits, including access to the all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition and insurance coverage for students and their club. The winning two-person team from each state championship will advance to an FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing Conference Championship held in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Conference Championship. Those winners will advance to the FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing National Championship held in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship in the spring of 2013. All SAF members and state championship participants qualify for the largest event in high school fishing, the 2012 High School Fishing World Finals to compete for thousands of dollars in college scholarships and prizes. Each team that qualifies for a conference and/or national championship will receive a travel allowance to help offset expenses. The National Champions will also each receive a $5,000 scholarship to use at the university of their choice.

If you’re not an SAF member, there’s a $25/per angler fee, which includes full TBF/FLW Outdoors membership benefits for the year, as well as, free entry to ALL SAF sanctioned events!

Another unique feature of an SAF sanctioned event is the “angler testing” component. Anglers can take a free online test at HighSchoolFishing.org about boater safety, conservation and angler ethics, which makes them eligible for contingency awards at their state championship. “It’s an industry first by TBF and a tremendous way to emphasize the importance of education to these student anglers,” SAF Program Manager, Alex Craw, commented. “The Federation is driven by our desire to promote education through fishing and the testing component is designed to do exactly that. We also offer all TBF/SAF members 11 free online training courses in our member’s only online store with Faculty of Fishing’s angler advantage program. Put this package together with all the programs our affiliated state federations like the Ohio Bass Federation have to offer, and our partnership with FLW Outdoors, and the sky is the limit,” Craw continued. “These young anglers and their families have opportunities unlike anything the industry has ever seen.”

Event Details:

State Championship sign-up: PRE-REGISTER ONLINE at HighSchoolFishing.org. Boat numbers are determined by date registered. A $25 late registration fee applies to those registering at check-in. The best way is to pre-register online at highschoolfishing.org.

Mandatory Check-in: Friday, June 8, 5:30-7pm EST, at the Gallia County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 259 Third Ave., Gallipolis, OH, 45631; Mandatory rules briefing to follow at 7pm.

Takeoff & Weigh-in: Saturday, June 9, at the Downtown/Public Use Launch Ramp on the Ohio River, 300 Block of First Ave., Gallipolis, OH, 45631. Takeoff and weigh-in times will be announced at the Mandatory rules briefing. Questions? Mark@bassfederation.com or 580-765-9031.

Host Hotel: Hampton Inn at Gallipolis, 444 State Route 7 South, Gallipolis, OH, 45631; Rooms will be available to tournament participants and their families at a special rate of $95 plus tax. Call the Hampton Inn General Manager, Joshua Felty, at 740.446.8000 and ask for the Ohio High School Championship Tournament rate. Book your rooms early to guarantee availability!

About FLW Outdoors

FLW Outdoors is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free, as well as, sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com.

About The Bass Federation

The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. TBF is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing organization. TBF affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 fishing, youth and conservation events at the local level each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 40 years. Visit bassfederation.com.

Ashton & Beahm Named 2012 Idaho State Champions on CJ Strike

HighSchoolFishing.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:14:50 +0000

The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce and the Idaho Bass Federation hosted the 2012 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Idaho High School Fishing State Championship on Saturday, May 12, on CJ Strike Reservoir, just outside of Mountain Home, Id.

The High School Fishing team of David Ashton and Jake Beahm of Borah High took 1^st place honors with a 5 fish limit weighing 14-09 pounds. The Torok brothers, Loren and Blake of Lake City & The Bass Pack High School Fishing Club, brought in a limit weighing 10-07 pounds to capture 2^nd place followed by Jon Hickey and Anthony Baracko who put a limit together that weighed 9-11 pounds.

FULL STANDINGS

The winning two-person team from each state championship will advance to an FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing Conference Championship held in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Conference Championship. Those winners will advance to the FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing National Championship held in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship in the spring of 2013.

All SAF members and state championship participants qualify for the largest event in high school fishing, the 2012 High School Fishing World Finals to compete for thousands of dollars in college scholarships and prizes. Each team that qualifies for a conference and/or national championship will receive a travel allowance to help offset expenses. The National Champions will also each receive a $5,000 scholarship to use at the university of their choice.

The SAF State Championship series continues with events this week in Mississippi, Colorado and New Mexico.

If you’re interested in starting a High School Fishing club at your school, please visit HighSchoolFishing.org for details on the Student Angler Federation (SAF). Cost is only $25/ year and includes full TBF and FLW Outdoors benefits, including access to the all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition and insurance coverage for students and their club.

For information on how to join the new and exciting sport of high school bass fishing, visit www.HighSchoolFishing.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hsfishing or follow us on Twitter @hs_fishing.

Oliver Springs Team Mayton & Everett Win 2012 Tennessee State Championship

HighSchoolFishing.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:01:24 +0000

The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, the Town of Kimball, and the Tennessee Bass Federation held the 2012 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Tennessee High School Fishing State Championship on Nickajack Lake Saturday, May 12. Forty six boats launched out of the Shellmound Park Ramp near Kimball, Tenn., with over forty teams bringing fish back to the scales that afternoon! Nickajack Lake, part of the famed Tennessee River system, lived up to all of the anglers expectations as twenty teams brought in five bass limits. All of the students had the opportunity to weigh in their catch using equipment that was provided for by the Tennessee Bass Federation.

Dustin Mayton & Hayden Everett from the Oliver Springs High School Bobcats weighed in 16.56 lbs to win the 2012 Tennessee High School State Championship.

2nd Place Team

“We started off the morning catching three good keepers on about six or seven casts, less than fifteen minutes after launching,” described Everett. “We were using ¾ oz mop jigs made by Showboat Lures in the Okeechobee Craw color with matching Strike King Rage Craws for trailers.”

The team was fishing an underwater roadbed in 12-16 feet of water that they had discovered and caught quality fish on during practice. With three in the livewell, the team had to play a little bit of defense as other local anglers saw the team landing keepers and eased their boats over to investigate. The deep bite quickly died after the initial flurry; however, Mayton & Everett kept switching up lures and presentations for several hours until they decided to try different water around 10am.

Their second spot was a railroad bed similar to the first except that it was in 8-12 feet of water and there was also some fresh grass growing in the area. They switched to throwing solid-body Showboat Lures Swimbaits and shallow running crankbaits. Mayton & Everett picked up keepers four and five by burning the crankbait over the grass. “With about thirteen pounds in the boat we knew if there was any chance that we were going to win, we had to throw big stuff,” said Mayton. “About thirty minutes before we were due back in, we got a big swirl on the swimbait and set the hook. We both thought it was a rockfish because it was stripping drag and just going crazy!”

After a two minute fight, the team landed the fish. Not only was it a 5.80 pound largemouth bass that would win Big Bass honors, it was the fish that led them to an almost two pound victory sealing their bid to become 2012 Tennessee High School State Champions.

In second place, with a limit weighing 14.72 pounds was Dylan True & Kallen Rochelle representing the Waverly Central High School Tigers. Waverly Central is located near Kentucky Lake and both anglers commented on using their experience on the Tennessee River system to catch their fish on Nickajack Lake. Finishing in third from the Riverside Christian Academy Knights, Joshua Mills & Conner Fogg caught five bass that weighed 14.54 pounds which included a small penalty for fish care.

The reigning 2011 Tennessee High School State Championship team of Austin Massingill & Wyatt Beavers, representing the Soddy Daisy High School Trojans, finished in fifth place with a five fish limit that weighed 13.74 pounds.

“This tournament was a great success largely due to a collaboration of efforts between The Bass Federation, the Town of Kimball, the Tennessee Bass Federation, and several other key sponsors” stated Tournament Director & SAF Program Manager, Alex Craw. “I can’t thank the Town of

3rd Place Team

Kimball enough for providing an all-around first class experience for these student anglers and their families!”

Places first through third, as well as Big Bass, were also awarded lure packages valued at over $100 from Yank-Um Custom Tackle, Sworming Hornet Fish Head Spins, Wackem Crazy Baits, Trixster Custom Baits, JP’s Jigs and Rigs, and Timber Ghost Hunt-N-Fish.

Kimball provided a fully catered dinner on the night of registration as well as T-shirts and other fishing goodies for each student angler. Professional angler and fishing guide, David DuVall, gave a brief seminar on the Yank-Um Mop Jig and provided some background information on Nickajack Lake. Staff from Sworming Hornet/Yank-Um Rods as well as Wackem Crazy Baits offered all products at a discount to SAF members, boat captains, and family members in attendance. Members of the UT-Chattanooga Mocs Bass Anglers were on hand to answer any questions students had about fishing at the collegiate level and coverage of the weekend’s events were featured on Channel3Outdoors.com, an affiliate of WRCB in Chattanooga, Tenn.

COMPLETE STANDINGS

The SAF High School Championship series moves to Columbus, MS next weekend for the Mississippi State SAF Championship which will be held on the Tenn-Tom Waterway, as well as the Colorado/New Mexico State SAF Championship to be held on Lake Pueblo in Pueblo, CO.

Baxley & Miller of Greenbrier High Win 2012 AR State Championship

HighSchoolFishing.org — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:00:21 +0000

May 12, 2012; Arkansas River, AR – Devin Baxley and TJ Miller of Greenbrier High School were the last team to come to the Verizon ramp scales on Saturday, which set the stage perfectly for one of the most exciting finishes in this year’s Student Angler Federation state championship series.

At that point, Alexander Bartlett and Daniel Vogel from the Pa Briuns were holding a slim one pound lead on the field with their 14.55 lb. catch when the Greenbrier duo brought their winning bag to the scales. After a tense couple of moments the LED readout showed 15.05 lbs. to edge out Bartlett and Vogel by a half a pound to capture the 2012 State title. The team was also the certified Angler award winners. The Arkansas Game & Fish presented the team with a nice prize package that included a nice set of life jackets.

2nd Place Team - Pa Bruins

Daniel Schults and Caleb Goss of the Watson Chapel Basscats Club finished third to round out the 62 boat field that braved the rain and river currents on the Arkansas River in downtown North Little Rock.

“This is just great,” commented Miller on their win. “We probably caught 60 fish today and could have had four limits if we had needed them,” added the pair who also finished 4th in last year’s High School Fishing World Finals. “We caught a limit early and culled four or five times throughout the day using a Spro Frog and Strike King Rodents that we flipped in the grass to catch most of our fish,” added Baxley. “I came down here several times with my dad to pre-fish and I felt like we had as good a chance to win as anybody.”

The Lew’s Tackle Company came on board with the Student Angler Federation for this event to sponsor the Big Bass Award. Professional Angler Mark Davis presented Taylor Collier and Colby Stout of Perryville High School with a pair of Lew’s

Big Bass Winners with 4.04 lb Largemouth

professional grade bait casting reels for their 4.04 largemouth.

COMPLETE STANDINGS

The SAF State Championship series continues with events this week in Mississippi, Colorado and New Mexico.

TBF would like to thank Lew’s Tackle Company for sponsoring the event & Big Bass Award, Kentucky Bass Federation for providing the weigh-in equipment, Arkansas Game & Fish for sponsoring the Certified Angler Award and all the volunteers who helped make this event happen. And a huge thank you to all the parents, mentors, teachers, coaches and boat captains for getting your students involved with high school fishing!

Yates & Smith Win 2012 Oklahoma HS Fishing State Championship

HighSchoolFishing.org — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:21:53 +0000

Ft. Gibson Lake – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, and the Wagoner Chamber of Commerce held the 2012 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Oklahoma High School Fishing State Championship on Fort Gibson Lake Sunday, May 6. Thirty five boats launched out of the Taylor’s Ferry Ramp in Wagoner, Okla. The event was held in conjunction with a FLW Outdoors Bass Fishing League (BFL) Event that took place the day before. Some students and volunteers were worried that the fishing pressure could make things tough on Sunday; however, thirty teams brought fish to the scales that afternoon! All of the students had the opportunity to walk across the stage and weigh in their catch just like the pros using FLW Outdoor’s BFL tournament trailer and stage.

Trevor Yates from Little Axe High School & Wyatt Smith from Depew High School weighed in 16 pounds and 15 ounces to win the 2012 Oklahoma High School State Championship.

“We started off in the morning flipping boat docks with jigs in Paradise Cove and Trevor got some good keeper bites right off the bat giving us a limit in the first hour or so,” described Smith. “We were using Falcon rods with Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier reels that were each spooled with 20 lb Seaguar line.”

With five in the livewell, the team went back to some water they had found in practice and quickly caught their kicker fish, a 5lb 13oz Fort Gibson giant which was the biggest fish to cross the scales that afternoon.

Yates and Smith caught most of their keepers earlier in the morning and noted that their bites occurred both on the fall and when they were dragging their jigs on the bottom. “We were throwing Eakins Jewel jigs in the Missouri Craw color with green pumpkin Zoom Speed Craws for trailers,” said Yates. “This was our first high school tournament and it just feels great to be Oklahoma High School State Champions!”

In second place, with a limit weighing 15 pounds and 14 ounces, was Wyatt Ryan & Hunter Fulton from the Ada Cougars. They caught the majority of their fish using a shaky head at various depths. Wyatt is actually the son of Stewart Ryan who represented Oklahoma as a boater in the 2012 TBF National Championship on Bull Shoals Lake back in March. Finishing in third from the Hilldale High School Hornets, Blake Capps & Colby Mullens caught five bass that weighed 14 pounds and 13 ounces.

Part of the 2011 Oklahoma High School State Championship team, Jenna Beam, representing the Ponca City Wildcat Anglers, finished in tenth place with two fish that weighed over nine pounds. She took home the honor of weighing in the second big bass of the tournament, a 5lb 7oz largemouth, which was the biggest fish she had ever landed in a tournament!

“This tournament was a great success largely due to a collaboration of efforts between The Bass Federation, FLW Outdoors, and the Oklahoma Bass Federation,” stated Tournament Director & SAF Program Manager, Alex Craw. “We had over a 1000% participation increase in 2012 and I can’t thank Anthony Wright and the rest of FLW Outdoor’s BFL Staff enough for providing an all-around first class experience for these student anglers and their families!”

COMPLETE STANDINGS

The SAF High School Championship series moves to Kimball, TN next weekend for the Tennessee State SAF Championship which will be held on Nickajack Lake, as well as state championships in Arkansas, Idaho, and Utah/Wyoming.

Kentucky High School Anglers go big on Kentucky Lake – Local Murray High School Team Wins With 21 Pounds

HighSchoolFishing.org — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:55:10 +0000

May 5, 2012 – With 16 teams in the 49 boat field catching a limit of fish, the High School Anglers in the state of Kentucky showed the world why they are some of the best anglers in the country on legendary Kentucky Lake.

When storm clouds that cluttered the morning finally lifted, the team of Ian Heskett and Chaz Lucas from the hometown Murray Tigers brought a huge 5 bass limit weighing 21 lbs to win the 2012 Kentucky SAF High School State Bass Fishing Championship at Kenlake Marina just outside of Murray, Kentucky.

“We fished deep most of the day using a football head jig and crank baits,” stated Ian Heskett who anchored the nice bag with a kicker that tipped in at 6 lbs 9oz. “We had a limit by 8:30 am and then culled 7 or 8 times to keep improving our weight throughout the day,” added Heskett. “When I caught that big one, we kind of went crazy for a few minutes, but then we calmed down and got back to work,” added the senior who plans on fishing for the Murray State College Fishing team next year. His partner Chaz Lucas, also a senior, added that the pair has spent a lot of time on the water this spring preparing for this event. “I played baseball since I was in 8^th grade,” explained Heskett, “but this year I wanted to concentrate on fishing so I would be ready fish with the Murray State team next year. I think it paid off today!” Murray State was also the title sponsor for the event so it was only fitting that one of their potential new anglers set the stage for the day.

Finishing 2^nd was the tandem team of Hunter Smith and Anthony Wilson from Nelson County High School, who also had a great five fish bag that weighed in at 17lbs 15ozs.

In 3rd was the Meade County duo of Tyler Stull and Stephen Compton who also had a fine 5 bass limit that scaled in at 16lbs 7oz. Stephen Compton was the reigning 2011 Kentucky State Champion with last year’s partner Donovan Jones. Compton also finished 6^th place in the 2011 High School Fishing World Finals in Russellville, AR with partner Curt Lindsey.

The two Murray seniors are also excited about advancing on to the High School Fishing Conference Championship, which will take place this fall in conjunction with the FLW College Conference Championship series. If they win and advance from there, they will then have a chance at $5,000 in scholarship in the 2013 High School Fishing National Championship.

COMPLETE STANDINGS

The SAF High School Championship series moves to Little Rock Arkansas next weekend for the Arkansas State SAF championship being held in downtown little Rock on the Arkansas River, as well as state championships in Tennessee and Idaho.

KY State Championship Photo Album

Tennessee High School Fishing State Championship Set For May 12

HighSchoolFishing.org — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:55:24 +0000

PONCA CITY, Okla. (Apr. 30, 2012) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, the Town of Kimball and the Tennessee Bass Federation announced it will host the 2012 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Tennessee High School Fishing State Championship. The event will be Saturday, May 12 on Nickajack Lake launching out of the Shellmound Ramp near Kimball, Tenn. The championship is a two person team event for students in grades 9-12. Registration for anglers and their “coach,” who will provide the boat they compete in, is online at HighSchoolFishing.org . Check-in begins at 5pm CST on Friday, May 11 at the Kimball Town Park with a mandatory rules briefing to follow at 6:30pm. We highly encourage all teams to preregister online or by phone in advance to avoid late registration fees.

“The Town of Kimball is honored to host the SAF Tennessee High School Fishing State Championship for 2012,” Town of Kimball Mayor, David Jackson, stated. “We’re looking forward to all the families and other visitors coming to Kimball that weekend. These youth will one day be the leaders of our state, and with the patience and knowledge it takes to fish this is a great foundation. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen has always supported different youth programs, and this tournament provides us an opportunity to show our support for the young anglers of the state. We hope everyone has a great time in Kimball and we wish all the anglers the best of luck!”

Kimball is rolling out the red carpet for the event! They’ll be providing a catered dinner Friday after the rules briefing, a T-shirt for the participants, as well as, other fishing goodies. Professional angler and fishing guide, David DuVall, will give a brief introduction on the Alabama/Tennessee rig and Nickajack Lake. Prizes for the winners will be donated by Yank-Um Custom Tackle, Sworming Hornet Fish Head Spins, Wackem Crazy Baits, Trixster Custom Baits, JP’s Jigs and Rigs, and Timber Ghost Hunt-N-Fish. Staff from Sworming Hornet/Yank-Um Rods will be at the meeting and weigh-in with all products available at discounted rates.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s fishing team will be on hand to answer questions about college fishing. Coverage of the event will be on Channel3Outdoors.com, an affiliate of WRCB in Chattanooga, Tenn.

If you’re not an SAF member, there’s a $25/per angler fee, which includes full TBF/FLW Outdoors membership benefits for the year, as well as, free entry to ALL SAF sanctioned events!

Another unique feature of an SAF sanctioned event is the “angler testing” component. Anglers can take a free online test at HighSchoolFishing.org about boater safety, conservation and angler ethics, which makes them eligible for contingency awards at their state championship. “It’s an industry first by TBF and a tremendous way to emphasize the importance of education to these student anglers,” SAF Program Manager, Alex Craw, commented. “The Federation is driven by our desire to promote education through fishing and the testing component is designed to do exactly that. We also offer all TBF/SAF members 11 free online training courses in our member’s only online store with Faculty of Fishing’s angler advantage program. Put this package together with all the programs our affiliated state federations like the Tennessee Bass Federation have to offer, and our partnership with FLW Outdoors, and the sky is the limit,” Craw continued. “These young anglers and their families have opportunities unlike anything the industry has ever seen.”

Event Details:

State Championship sign-up: PRE-REGISTER ONLINE at HighSchoolFishing.org . Boat numbers are determined by paid registration date. A $25 late registration fee applies to those registering or paying at check-in. The best way is to pre-register and pre pay online at www.highschoolfishing.org .

Mandatory Check-in: Friday, May 11, 5-6:30pm CST, at the Kimball Town Park, 3591 Industrial Blvd., Kimball, TN 37347. Mandatory rules briefing at 6:30pm with dinner compliments of the Town of Kimball.

Takeoff & Weigh-in: Saturday, May 12, at the Shellmound Park Ramp on Nickajack Lake, 2745 TVA Rd, Jasper, TN 37347. Takeoff, 5:30am and weigh-in, 2pm CST. Competition waters include Nickajack Lake only; anglers are NOT allowed to lock. Questions? alex@highschoolfishing.org or 580-765-9031

Host Hotels: The Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Super 8 and America’s Best in Kimball have committed discounted rates to participants and their families that mention the TN High School Fishing State Championship. Please support the Town of Kimball and these featured host hotels!

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Trevor Thompson and Shelton Vasquez power Kaufman to Texas High School Bass Fishing Championship Open

HighSchoolFishing.org — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:11:29 +0000

Kaufman High School Bass Club Holds Successful Open

(April 28, 2012 – Garland, Texas) Your average weekend bass fisherman would have watched the weather man and turned over and went back to sleep on Saturday; however, 44 high school fishing teams braved the 30 plus mile per hour winds at Lake Ray Hubbard. Teams representing high schools from as far away as Carthage, Marble Falls and Eastland showed up for over $3,000 dollars in scholarships along with factory merchandise.

When the weigh-in ended, Trevor Thompson and Shelton Vasquez of the Kaufman Lion Fishing Team bested the entire field by bringing five fish that weighed 19.47 pounds. The two fished main lake rocks and rip rap with spinner and crank baits. Tommy Climer, who was Trevor and Shelton’s boat captain, commented at the weigh-in, “This was the most fun I have had fishing, without fishing in a tournament (boat captains can only assist, but cannot fish during the day). Climer continued, “These two guys did everything I told them to do. They took my knowledge of this area and, with their skills, brought in this great catch. They worked well with each other, were quiet, and concentrated the entire time.” Thompson and Vasquez’s first place finish merited $2,000 scholarship money that will be sent to their high school to be used when they enroll in a college.

Sixth place went to Kaufman’s Marshall White and Lane Allen. Their 12.90 stringer was anchored by a 6.19 pounder which was the second biggest bass in the tournament. They were only bested by Colt Benedict and Zachary Laky’s 7.26 monster from the Forney High Bass Team. This helped Benedict and Laky to a second place finish with a total of 13.44, and was good for $1,200 in scholarship money.

JB Mills and Justin Liggett were paired with Terry Peacock. Peacock had a crank bait bite on deeper rocks and was worried that JB and Justin had not had any experience in cranking deeper rocks. “This technique takes a lot of feel running a deep running crank over rocks; even the best bass fishermen lose their share of bass while trying not to hang up their bait.” Peacock continued, “The wind made this kind of fishing tough; however JB and Justin brought in 7.60 pounds for 13^th place. Next time you see Justin, ask him about the one that got away (which was reported by Peacock to be over 10 pounds)!

Blake Shaw and Rusty Faries brought only one bass to the scale for 1.51 pounds. Both boys fished well in the high winds. Josh Conner and Zak Ravella, who were entered in their first bass tournament, did not weigh a fish but learned a lot. Clayton Powell who was fishing by himself did not weigh in a bass.

Kaufman’s top three teams weighed in 39.97 which bested Forney’s total weight of 26.12 for the Texas High School Bass Fishing Championship. Tommy Climer, who was very impressed with the first place team of Trevor Thompson and Shelton Vasquez, was contacted by Dobyns Rod Company who made them members of their pro staff! Steve Holland who is the coach of the Kaufman High School Fishing Team said, “That’s a benefit of winning, companies want you to represent them. It is not unusual for high school students to be selected by skateboard and motorcycle companies. You are going to see a lot more sponsorships by fishing related companies for high school bass anglers.” Congratulations to Trevor and Shelton! They will represent Dobyns Rods as well as they represent Kaufman High School.

Holland concluded, “ I want to thank all of the sponsors that made the Texas High School Bass Fishing Championship a great success; Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine, Strike King, Rapala, Yum, Lake Fork and Tackle, Brian Hughes of WBAP radio, Barry Stokes of Outdoor Trails TV, American National Bank of Kaufman and Justin Rackley. Also, a special thanks to the parents who have supported me in this program and helped out at the tournament.

Team Name	Team No	School	Total	Award	Place
Trevor Thompson-Shelton Vasquez	5	Kaufman	19.47	$2,000.00	1st
Colt Benedict-Zachary Laky	27	Forney	13.44	$1,200.00	2nd
Cole Clinton-Keaton Davis	12	Carthage	13.24	Plaque	3rd
Austin Ellis-Hunter McNeese	40	Marble Falls	13.08	Plaque	4th
Damon Machost-Cooper Adair	33	Royse City	13.07	Plaque	5th
Marshall White-Lane Allen	4	Kaufman	12.90	Merchandise	6th
Chase Wood-Conner Pennington	39	Crandall	12.39	Merchandise	7th
Brandon Bales-Kyle Dragulski	16	Heath High	11.68	Merchandise	8th
Alec Castongvay-Khristian Salcedo	24	Heath High	11.44	Merchandise	9th
Lane Martin-Tanner McMillian	17	Rowlett	8.95	Merchandise	10th
Jaylon Stanley-Jacob Kendrick	21	Jefferson	8.88	Merchandise	11th
Hayden Sickles-Colton Frazier	48	Sulphur Springs	8.08	Merchandise	12th
JB Mills-Justin Liggett	3	Kaufman	7.60	Merchandise	13th
Carsyn Frazier-Megan Alcorn	32	Crandall	7.08	Merchandise	14th
Blake Rardin-Austin Brabham	29	Forney	6.50	Merchandise	15th
Kory Calloway-Tyler Gilbert	25	Forney	6.18	Merchandise	16th
Hunter Smith-Ryan Pennington	23	North Forney	6.10	Merchandise	17th
Trevor Dykema-Dakota Trimble	22	Crandall	5.85	Merchandise	18th
Cody Fennell-Cody Lang	34	Whitesboro	5.36	Merchandise	19th
Zachary Starling-Colton Kirk	35	Quinlan Ford	4.64	Merchandise	20th
Nick O’Conner-Lane Amidson	42	Marble Falls	4.58	Merchandise	21st
Seth McGregor-Chris Matlock	20	Jefferson	4.19	Merchandise	22nd
Justin Cogburn-Miles Bradley	47	Eastland	3.90	Merchandise	23rd
Randall Williams-Katalynn Bird	49	Gary	3.34	Merchandise	24th
Mallory Pettijohn-Morgan Baker	36	Crandall	2.66	Merchandise	25th
Jonathan Ellis-Miranda Allen	30	Forney	2.10	Merchandise	26th
Blake Shaw-Rusty Faries	2	Kaufman	1.51	Merchandise	27th
Dillion Williams-Lindsey Harp	18	Jefferson	1.49	Merchandise	28th
Hunter Delz-Conner White	44	Marble Falls	1.35	Merchandise	29th
Dalton Adams-Ben Marecle	31	Forney	1.30	Merchandise	30th
Dacota Dennis-Clayton Amendson	28	Forney	1.22	Merchandise	31st

Big Bass
Colt Benedict-Zachary Laky	27	Forney	7.26	Plaque	1st
Marshall White-Lane Allen	4	Kaufman	6.19		2nd
Hunter Smith-Ryan Pennington	23	North Forney	6.10		3rd
Austin Ellis-Hunter McNeese	40	Marble Falls	5.75		4th
Chase Wood-Conner Pennington	39	Crandall	5.65		5th
Trevor Thompson-Shelton Vasquez	5	Kaufman	5.28		6th
Cole Clinton-Keaton Davis	12	Carthage	5.25		7th
Brandon Bales-Kyle Dragulski	16	Heath High	4.96		8th

Top 3 Team Totals
Kaufman	4, 5 & 3		39.97		1st
Forney	27, 29, 25		26.12		2nd
Crandall	39, 32, 22		25.32		3rd
Jefferson	21, 20, 18		14.56		4th
Carthage	12, 11, 10		13.24		5th

Anderson leads TL Hanna High School to Another South Carolina High School Fishing State Championship

HighSchoolFishing.org — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:07:19 +0000

Greenwood Lake, SC – Hampton Anderson has become synonymous with winning the South Carolina High School State Bass Fishing Championship. With his partner from last year graduating, the young star recruited the services of his new partner Eli Rowland to capture this year’s event on Greenwood Lake. With a 36 boat field to work through, the pair used a top-water bite to catch a very nice 5 bass limit that weighed 15lbs 14oz to edge out the runner-up team of Carter McNeil and Justin Morris of Abbeville High School. The 2^nd place team caught a very respectable five fish limit of 14lbs 4oz. Third place went to Brad Williamson and Cory Powers from Chapin High School, who also had a five bass limit weighing 12lbs 11oz.

Greenwood Lake proved to be a productive fishery as fifteen teams took home additional prizes sponsored by the Berkley “Five Alive” program that rewards anglers for catching a limit of fish which they bring to the scales alive and well.

“This is awesome,” stated Anderson, who also advanced on to the regional competition with his partner last year. He will be doing so again this year as a result of winning this year’s event. “We fished some off shore points and humps and we really didn’t have much success until later in the morning when the wind started to put a little ripple on the water,” stated the duo. “Then things kind of came alive and we were able to concentrate on that offshore bite for the rest of the day.” The South Carolina High School Movement continues to grow as this year field more than doubled in size from last year’s event. It is popular enough in the state to make national news on Fox News just in the last few weeks regarding High School Bass Fishing as an official high school team sport.

Anderson and Hampton also claimed the SAF Certified Angler Award, which rewards teams for doing their classroom work with an on-line angler test on Boater Safety, Angler Ethics and Invasive species. This year’s Award was sponsored by the South Carolina TBF and Berkley.

COMPLETE FINAL STANDINGS

The SAF State Championship series continues this week at Kentucky Lake with the Kentucky High School State Championship. The 2012 High School Fishing World Finals will return to Russellville, Ark., July 15-21. Registration is open to ALL SAF members. It’s a no entry-fee event, SAF members can go online at www.highschoolfishing.org to register.