Team Holley Takes Georgia High School Title at Lake Lanier

Team Holley Takes Georgia High School Title at Lake Lanier

A total of eighty-two teams, from across the state of Georgia, showed up at Lake Lanier trying to be crowned High School Fishing State Champions. The weather actually turned out nice and the fish cooperated as well, making for a great weigh in. Taking the BOOYAH Big Bag Award and the winner’s trophies was the Jackson County High School team of Sam and Jake Holley with a hefty 17-13 pound limit.

They surged to the win, late in the weigh in, by the slimmest of margins, which was one ounce. The brothers claimed that they had a limit early in the day and caught a total of eight keepers throughout the day, giving them the chance to cull three times. They estimated that they added an extra three and a half to four pounds to their original limit weight. Finishing in second place was Jake Wohlers and Jackson Brown from the Oconee Fishing club, with a weight of 17-12 pounds.

 

Third place also had a nice bag of fish with 17-02 pounds landing the team of Josh Rogers and Christopher Newman in the top three.

The Lew’s Big Bass award of two Lew’s Reels went to Team Cameron, Cameron Klaric and Cameron Williams for their giant spotted bass which topped all of the other fish at 5-02 pounds. Great catch Team Cameron!

As always there were a variety of techniques and lures used that were successful during the event. Most popular was the Shakey Head. Most teams were using light weights and light line to catch their fish. Anglers reported catching fish in 20-30 feet of water early in the day, and then as shallow as 4-8 feet in the afternoon as the sun came out and warmed up the water, the fish moved up under the docks in the shallower bays. Also catching fish were square bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Ned Rigs, and Texas Rigged plastics. Dock, gravel points and brush piles were all keys to success for the anglers.

Full results for this event can be found at www.highschoolfishing.org and all of the pictures are posted on our Student Angler Federation Facebook page.

Update On Missing High School Team in Tennessee

As many of you know there is a High School Team missing from a Saturday trip to Pickwick Landing State Park. Obviously, this is close to our hearts and we have spoken to TWRA several times since they were reported as missing Sunday evening.

At this time, they (TWRA) have the resources they need on the water right now and do not need more boats.
We all want to be there and help as our hearts ache for the anglers and their families, but this is the time to follow the plan laid out by the professionals, they know what they are doing.

Officials have assured us they will ask if more help is needed and we will get the word out ASAP if that happens.

What each one of us can do is to say a prayer for the missing anglers that they are found safe, for their families that god will comfort them, for all the members of their local fishing club and for the Search and Rescue and Law Enforcement, first responders who are out there doing what they always do, which is going above and beyond.

Kershaw & Konrad Win It All at Lake Hartwell

Kershaw & Konrad Win It All at Lake Hartwell

If you have been around fishing tournaments very long, you have probably heard this statement. No matter how tough the weather or water conditions, someone will find the fish! That rings true from the South Carolina State Championship this past weekend at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina. Mother Nature threw everything she had and yet these young High School anglers still caught plenty of fish. In the days leading up to the event, the weather went from sunny and quite warm, to lots of rain, then a mix of rain and snow, to temps in the mid-20’s by takeoff on Saturday morning, to an hour fog delay, back to near 60 degrees by weigh-in on Saturday afternoon. But even with all those challenges, the South Carolina anglers hit the water Saturday morning excited to see what the day would hold for them.

The team of Mark Kershaw and Chance Conrad needed a wheelbarrow to take home all of their awards after the conclusion of the event. The YCHSA team received the BOOYAH BIG BAG Award for the heaviest sack of the day which stopped the scales at 15-10 pounds. Included in their limit was the Lew’s Big Bass Award for a giant largemouth that weighed 8-15 pounds. They took home the first-place trophies and a qualifying spot in the High School Fishing National Championship, coming up in June at La Crosse, Wisconsin. Quite a good day for Mark and Chance!

 

Just ounces behind them, finishing second, was the Crescent High School team of Jacob Butts and Collin Sutherland with 15-04 pounds.

Third place belonged to Seth Jenkins and Avery Jackson, from Wren High School, with 13-13 pounds.

Rounding out the top five spots were Jack Hunt and Aiden Luper, from Pendleton High school with 12-10 pounds and the Broome High School team of Colton Wells and Parker Sullivan with 11-02 pounds.


With the water being muddy, most of the winning teams reported that they had to go out deep to catch their fish. Several teams brought in bags of spotted bass that they said came anywhere from 20-40 feet of water. Carolina rigs with soft plastics, Ned Rigs, Drop Shots, Shakey Heads and Alabama Rigs were all good baits on Lake Hartwell.
Full results can be seen at www.highschoolfishing.org and all the pictures from the event are on the SAF Facebook page.