The Student Angler Federation (SAF) held it’s High School State Championship at Lake Lanier over the weekend.  Teams from all over Georgia came to Laurel Park to participate and try and catch some of the big spotted bass that the lake is known for.  Mother Nature decided to make her presence known as the anglers were greeted with rain as they woke up that morning and the rain continued throughout the entire day.

Coby Thompson and Bentley Floyd caught the “Cabela’s BIG BAG” of the event which was a limit that weighed 17 pounds and 14 ounces.  They were also able to land the “Lew’s Big Bass” award also with a nice 6-03 lunker largemouth.  They received two Lew’s reels for their catch. Finishing a close second was the Pike County team of Joe Haren and Alan Smith with 16 pounds and 6 ounces. Third place went to Elijah Benson and Braedon Hubbard from Dawson County with a limit that weighed 15-15. Fourth and fifth paces belonged to Aspen Martin and Jett Strickland from Calhoun High School with 15-10 and Brandon Willard and Bryan Gayton of Woodland High School with 15-08.

Most of the fish were spotted bass and the anglers reported catching them on several different baits.  Small sized swimbaits were probably the best bait of the day, along with crankbaits, jigs, Ned Rigs, Neko Rigs and the occasional Chatterbait.  Several teams were fishing shallow in waters anywhere from 1-3 feet and the rest of the anglers were fishing out deeper in 25-40 feet of water.

Results can be found by CLICKING HERE and all the photos are on our Student Angler Federation High School Fishing Facebook Page which can be seen by CLICKING HERE.

High School teams from across South Carolina converged on Lake Hartwell to compete for the title of State Champions for 2022.  Registration was held at the Greenville Cabela’s and the anglers were able to stock up on all their favorite bait and tackle before the event began.  As Mother Nature usually does, prolonged rain covered the area several days before the event and then the cooler than normal temperatures made it quite brisk for Saturday morning.

But by the end of the day, the temperatures had climbed to the upper forties and the anglers were able to catch several fish during the last few hours of the event.  The Travelers Rest team of Hunter Dill and Austin Short brought a total of 14-00 pounds to the scales as the first team to weigh and never looked back.

Finishing in second place was the Crescent High School team of Luke McGuffin and Kaleb Butts with 11 pounds and 14 ounces.  Third place went to the NAFT Team of Kyler Murray and Wil Ravenscroft for their 11 pounds and 3 ounces.  Vernon Reynolds and Carver Griffin finished fourth with 10-15 and Caden Barnett and Russell Whitfield claimed fifth with 10-14.

Several anglers said they caught their fish fairly early in the morning cold temps while other teams said they started catching their fish late in the afternoon and caught most of their good fish in the last hour of the event.  The Lew’s Big Bass honors went to Riley Nuessle and Copeland Watts for their 3-13 lunker.  Some of the best baits were jigging spoons, Ned Rigs, Texas Rigs, and Rattletraps.

For complete results from this event “CLICK HERE” and for all the photos from the South Carolina event “CLICK HERE”

The Bass Federation Student Angler Federation 2022 State Championship Tournament was held at Lake Mitchell, Clanton, AL,2/5/2022. The tournament launched out of Higgins Ferry Park, Clanton, AL, and SAF anglers were welcomed by our host partner, Chilton County Chamber of Commerce. Weather predictions were to be cold, cloudy, and windy. Those predications prevailed for the entire tournament day with occasional sunshine.

Upon closing the scales, the team of Luke Coleman-Bobby McCray of Oneonta High School claimed 1^st Place honors with a limit pushing the scales to 12.35.

Second Place team was the team of Ashton Johnson-Eli Colley of Sand Rock High School with 12.14.

Third Place team of Landen Dixon-Mitch Weaver of Citronelle Community Fishing Team with 11.29.

In fourth place was Branson Maupin-Caleb Myres of CCH Anglers with 10.63, Andrew Jones-Carson Underwood of Hewitt-Trussville were fifth place with 10.18. Finishing in the top six was Everett Jones-Connor Sikes of Prattville Christian Academy with 10.13.

Luke Coleman-Bobby McCray credited their win to a spinner-bait pattern around docks. Coleman and McCray have earned a berth as co-anglers in the upon coming 2022 TBF District 4 National Semi-Finals tournament scheduled for 8-9 October 2022, at Logan Martin lake in Lincoln, AL and have qualified to fish the TBF 2022 High School National Tournament scheduled for June 2022, Lake Pickwick, Florence, AL.

Also qualifying for the 2022 TBF High School National Tournament are the teams of Ashton Johnson-Eli Colley and Landen Dixon-Floyd Weaver. For full results CLICK HERE