The Student Anglers Federation (SAF) Texas High School State Championship on Lake O’ The Pines, started out with a very chilly Launch. As the day proceeded the weather warmed up along with the bite.

The First Place team of Neal Covington and Ty Kennedy of Hallsville Bobcats, with their Berkley 5 Alive Catch, take the win in Texas! Covington and Kennedy crossed the scales with 17-15. Not only did these two anglers win the State Championship and a trip to the High School Fishing World Finals And National Championship in La Crosse, WI. as SAF state champions they both are eligible to participate in the TBF National Semi Finals as Co-Anglers, with Adult TBF memberships and entry fees paid, they also won the booyah big bag award.

Finishing in second place was a team from the Harleton High School Wildcats. Jacob Holder and Peyton Paul brought in a 4 fish bag that weighed 13-09.  They also had the days big fish that weighed in at 5 pounds and 5 ounces to secure the Lew’s Big Fish Prize of the day.

Securing the third place spot was Hunter Amidon and Tanner Patteson from James Bowie HS.  This team who drew the lucky number 7 take off spot got off to a rocky start on their way to the event but they turned their day around quickly.  Perseverance and patience paid off for these Student Anglers. They took third place with Berkley’s five fish all alive at 11.09 pounds.

Congratulations to these 3 teams with your shot at the National Title and the prestige High School Fishing World Finals. Thank you, to all the Students who participated in the Texas State Championship see you all at the High School Fishing World Finals.

Thank you Marshall TX for helping the Student Angler Federation have a great High School State Championship, on Lake O’ The Pines, we look forward to coming back there again some day.!

For full results and photos check out our schedules and results page.

The Student Angler Federation held it’s Florida High School State Championship out of Hickory Point on the Harris Chain of Lakes.  The rainy weather put the lock jaw on most of the fish, but several limits were still brought to the scales.

Taking home top honors was the Osceola Anglers team of Grady Johnson and Matthew Alderman with a nice limit of fish that weighed 15-09 pounds.  They caught most of their fish around grass lines in 3-6 feet of water.

The team of John Corriveau and Tristan Wallace, from Bartow High School turned in 11-13 pounds to finish in second place.  Big Fish honors also went to the team of John Corriveau and Tristan Wallace for their 5-13 lunker largemouth.

Rounding out the top three was Ayden Woelk and Malachi Larson, also from the Osceola Anglers, with 10-03 pounds.

Most all the anglers were fishing around the grass or isolated docks and throwing soft plastic, spinnerbaits, small swimbaits or a variety of jigs, to catch their fish.

For full results and pictures from this event can be found on our our schedule and results page.

The Student Anglers Federation’s first High School event of the new calendar year was a huge success.  Seventy teams, from five different states, came out and participated in the Bass Pro Shops/ Cabela’s  Early Bird Challenge at Clarks Hill Lake in Georgia.  Like at SAF events, this event was a National Championship qualifying event, and the seven highest finishing teams qualified for that event while all 70 teams are eligible to enter the 11th annual High School Fishing World Finals now.

The Marietta Bass Master Team of Brooks Anderson and Avery Hammock took top honors and the BOOYAH Big Bag Award, with a solid limit that weighed 13-10.

Following them in second place was Andrew Alexander and Dalton Eury, from the North Carolina Student Anglers Federation, with 12-09 pounds.

Third place went to Tanner Hadden and Caleb Hudson from Greenbrier High School with 12-07 pounds.

Big Bass of the day received two Lew’s reels and went to the team of Andrew Alexander & Dalton Eury with a 5-11 lunker.

As the weigh in progressed, anglers reported catching their fish in a variety of ways on a variety of different baits from both deep and shallow waters.  Most of the better limits were caught out deep, from 20-40 feet of water on Carolina Rigs, Shakey Heads, and Sled Rigs.  Other limits were caught in shallow water around docks and rocky points and banks on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, swimbaits and jigs.

For a full list of tournament results and photos from the Bass Pro Shops/ Cabelas Early Bird Challenge event check out our schedule and results page.