Sunny weather with temps in the upper 80’s greeted anglers at the 2017 South Carolina High School Fishing State Championship on April 29 at Lake Murray and Dreher Island State Park. Fifty-three teams set out to compete for the champion titles and slots in the 2017 National Championship to be held in conjunction with the High School Fishing World Finals, June 27-July 1 on Lake Pickwick.
The South Florence team of Tommy Floyd and James Gibbons caught a healthy limit of bass weighing 19lbs 3 ounces to take the titles, trophies and first advancing slot.
The fifth place team of Justin Green and Caleb Ownby of Woodruff High School qualified for nationals at the Lake Murray Open event, which allowed the sixth place team to advance. Competing in their first SAF tournament, the Spring Hill team of Grant Tomlin and Wes Grindstaff was that lucky team in sixth who will slide into that last qualifying slot.
The top 6 teams are as follows:
1st: Tommy Floyd, James Gibbons, South Florence, 5/5,19-03 *
2nd: Hunter Enlow, Creed Fowler, Union County, 5/5, 14-15 *
3rd: Nick Collier, Austin Lanford, WHS Wolverine’s, 5/5, 12-11 *
4th: Kyler Mckie, Michael Burch, North Augusta, 5/5, 11-12 *
5th: Justin Green, Caleb Ownby, WHS Wolverine’s, 5/5, 11-11 (previously qualified)
6th: Grant Tomlin, Wes Grindstaff, Spring Hill, 3/3, 10-14 *
