In any sport it is hard to repeat any kind of championship effort from a previous year. However Cole Swede and Chase Meyers must not have read that old adage as they put together a solid five fish limit that weighed 16lbs 14oz to win the Southern Conference Regional Championship and advance once again to the High School National Championship. The event was sponsored by the Pine Bluff Convention and Visitors Bureau on the Arkansas River at the scenic Jefferson County Park.
The pair, who represents the Anvil Jaw Bass Club in Arkansas, found a home in the backwaters of the Arkansas River seeking out old pilings and eddy’s after plowing through some very shallow water to get there. “Once we got through there the water dropped off a little deeper and that’s where the bigger fish were hanging out” commented Meyers. “We saw about thirty Blue Herons when we first got in there and they were feeding on a giant school of gizzard shad” added Swede. “At that point we kind of knew we were in the right spot” cited a smiling Meyers! “It was on from there”!
Finishing in second place and also earning a trip to the spring National Championship was the duo from Benton High School also had a five fish limit that tipped in at a very respectable 12lb 15oz to claim the runner-up spot. James Ingram and Chase Galloway from Heber Springs High School rounded out the top three Championship qualifier’s with a five fish limit that scaled in at 10lb 6oz to finish third.
Thirty seven teams from seven states qualified for the Southern Regional event through the TBF/FLW State Championship series or one of five National Open events. From there teams nationwide advanced to one of five regional competitions with the hope of advancing on to the High School National Championship and a shot at a $10,000 scholarship to the winning team.
For Complete Standings CLICK HERE
