www.highschoolfishing.org
Anglers battled tirelessly to land bites on day two of the 2018 High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship on Pickwick Lake. Yesterday’s cloud cover and constant current all but disappeared altering the bites, fishing patterns and standings. Some struggled to adjust while others got in step. Over half of the teams sitting in the top 10 were not there yesterday and 77 teams that blanked on day one brought their first catch to the scales proving the field is wide open.
Yesterday’s second place team was among the few to hold their own in the standings. Kyler Mckie and Chad Champy from the North Augusta Fishing Team pulled ahead with a tournament total of 37 pounds 14 ounces. The pair had 23 pounds 9 ounces on day one and 14 pounds 5 ounces today. “Yesterday we got on a real good spot but today was definitely a little rougher,” McKie and Champy said. “Didn’t think we’d end up pulling through; definitely, better than I thought.”
Today, they returned to the same honey hole in hopes of another healthy bag. Although, the lack of cloud cover didn’t affect their bite other conditions did. “This morning we pulled up and got some good fish early, but then later in the day the wind helped push the current along and they started pulling more water, which made it a little tough on us. We weren’t finding as many bites or quality fish.”
This is McKie and Champy’s first trip at the High School Fishing World Finals event and they’ve only pre-fished the lake a handful of times. The duo won the South Carolina State Championship on Lake Murray to advance as National Championship qualified anglers. So, tomorrow their sights are on those titles.
“The goal for us right now is to have a really good day tomorrow and win the National Championship,” the team continued. “Then, we will worry about the rest when the time comes.”
This event consists of four days of competition one day at a time is the ultimate strategy, and as the standings can attest anything can and will happen as teams set off from McFarland Park in Florence, Ala., for day three of the 2018 High School Fishing World Finals.
Day two’s weigh-in was sponsored by the Student Angler Federation’s sponsor partners, Okuma and Blackfish. Several anglers walking across the stage were randomly given Okuma product and up to $100 Blackfish gift cards. And although severe thunderstorm warnings in the area threatened the day, the storms held off until its conclusion. Day three continues tomorrow as the National Champions will be crowned and 31 teams advance to Saturday’s finale.
