For the third consecutive year, the top high school teams and the top Junior teams on the Okoboji Chain of Lakes to compete at the SAF/TBF High School Bass Fishing Iowa State Championships, sponsored by the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club and Strike King. The numbers broke all previous records with 61 high school teams and 20 in the Junior division. According to Iowa TBF youth director Bob Harris, “After the tough conditions earlier in the week, it was nice to have a good fishable day for these teams! They deserved a break. We kicked off the festivities last evening (Friday) at Oak Hill Outdoor with our rules meeting and regular season award ceremony. We certainly appreciate Oak Hill offering its facility for us. The venue has the perfect outdoor (hunting and fishing) atmosphere with lots of room to hold the high school anglers, their boat captains, along with any family members.”

Held Saturday, April 19, the teams launched at the Emerson Bay boat ramp at 6;30 a.m., and returned in flights beginning at 2:30 p.m.

On the line was the chance for up to six teams to qualify for the 2025 High School Fishing World Finals at Grand Lake, Grove, OK., along with two teams for the Junior Division.

In the High School division, the team of Grant Nore and Evan Powell from the Iowa Youth Fishing League (Grimes/Norwalk) won the title with a five-fish limit weight of 26.31 pounds, along with the big fish of the day, a 6.55 pounder. They outdistanced the runner-up team Brentyn Hoover and Lucas Bose from the Southwest Iowa Fishing Team (Anita/Underwood) with their five-fish limit weight of 20.87 pounds. Meanwhile, the third-place team of Allie Wheelock and Kael Moore from the Cedar Falls Fishing Team (Waterloo/Cedar Falls) brought a five-fish limit weight of 18.44 pounds to the scale. Quality fish were the name of the game with eight fish weighing over 5.45 pounds. A total of 225 bass were brought to the scales averaging 2.38 pounds.

The Junior division teams also brought quality fish to the scales with the top team of Brayden Stennhoek and Lane Lewis from the Iowa Youth Fishing League Jr. Club (Indianola/West Des Moines) with a five-fish limit weight of 17.22 pounds, including the biggest bass of the tournament with a 6.70 pounder. Second place and a five-fish weight of 15.44 pounds went to the team of Walter Louk and Leon Pauley from the Central Iowa Student Angler & Southwest Iowa Fishing Team, respectively (Jefferson/Harlan). The third-place team of Jessa Miller and Carter Clancey from the Northwest Iowa Jr. Bass Team (Spirit Lake/Melvin) with a five-fish weight of 13.85 pounds. A total of 52 bass were brought to the scales.

While the fishing partners are a big part of the team, a truly important part of success in this team format is the leadership of boat captain/mentor, who provides the boat and captains the boat. Harris says, “None of this would be possible without their investment of money, time and emotional support for our youth. These mentors have such a positive impact on their ‘youth partners.’ Not only are they learning about the ups and downs of fishing, but it’s also about learning integrity and sportsmanship as they work to solve the fishing patterns and the changes that are constantly occurring, just like the problem solving they do in real life.”

Harris reflected on the success of the tournament. “Everything went so well. The weather cooperated; the fish cooperated…what else can you ask for! I’d also like to thank the TBF National office, all our sponsors and volunteers for making this a truly special day for our anglers and boat captains. I’d like to especially mention the efforts of the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club (IGLFC). They were extremely important in helping make this event happen. It is obvious through their efforts that the IGLFC has a mission of investing in the youth of our state. I’d like to also thank the local community for welcoming us and helping make sure we had everything we needed!”

Arkansas High School State Championship was canceled and rescheduled due to heavy rain, storms and rising waters on Greers Ferry, this led to a rescheduled event in Hot Springs on Lake Hamilton.

Anglers were forced to gear up and change their tactics for the 2025 AR State Championship on Hamilton. First Place team of Jackson Roumbanis and Lawson Lewis did just that. The pair spent part of their Friday afternoon on the water pre-fishing and trying to find that magic that would work on the following tournament day. As the flights were called out one by one and the teams headed off for the day, the team of Jackson and Lawson rolled up on their first spot of the morning. First cast you always want to get that one out of the way and Jackson did just that only he came up with a 3 pounder on that first cast. Lucky? The team conversated was it going to be a bad day as everyone knows you never want to catch your first fish on that first cast. Up to the wire they struggled to get that final keeper they needed and on a hale marry the team made a big run from one end of the lake to the other. With just a few minutes remaining the team made their last cast and came up with a great 4-pounder that would cull giving them that few extra pounds they would need. Jackson and Lawson had a crushing conservation five fish limit All alive weighing in at 16 pounds and 6 ounces. No giants for the team but a great solid bag of fish.

Second place team was Justin Corpier and Kaleb McKinney with 14 pounds and 1 ounce securing them the second-place spot on Hamilton and also securing them a shot at the 16th annual High School Fishing World Finals & National Championship that will take place this June just across the state line on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. Justin and Kaleb held the lead up until the second from last team. Great day on the water for Justin & Kaleb.

Benton Bass Team Hudson Kindy and Carson Harmon took the lead about mid-way in the weigh in and they too held that for a while giving the teams coming to the scale a weight to shoot for. Hudson and Carson secured third place with their weight for the day and also set their sites on that National Title this summer in Oklahoma.

4th place through 6th place also secured National Berths to the National Championship in OK this June.

Congratulations to 4th place team Will Powell and Deacon Shelby with 12 pounds and 13 ounces.

5th place was Grayson Goss and Drew Morgan with 12 pounds and 5 ounces

And the final team also with a respectable weight of 12 pounds and 4 ounces was Alexander Watkins and partner Kade Hamilton.

Our Lew’s Big fish team of the day came to the scales with a great largemouth taking that big fish award and a pair of Lew’s reels home with them was Jackson Jundt and Ryne Lewallen with a 5-pound and 6-ounce lunker.

Congratulations to all of our top finishers on winning a National Birth to this year’s 16th Annual High School Fishing World Finals & National Championship. On behalf of the Student Angler Federation, we want to thank the AR Bassers for all of their help in making the 2025 AR HS State such a huge success.

I want to thank all the teams that competed in the WV High School and Junior State Championships this past weekend on Sutton Lake.

The team competed in very tough conditions, stained water with dropping water temperatures (dropped 3 degrees overnight).

Congratulations go to the teams of Cameron Schoonover and Isabella Sigman on the Junior side and Bo Hollen and Luke Stewart on the High School side. Both teams will be eligible to more on to their prospective Championships later this year.