The GHSA Fishing season came to a close this past weekend at Clarks Hill Lake.  They had a total of four qualifying tournaments with a chance to make it to the Finals.  Each of the four events had over 250 teams that participated during the spring.  There was a total of 127 teams that were eligible to come and participate.  Out of that number 125 showed up at Wildwood Park to test their skills.  From the 125 teams who fished, a total of 105 teams weighed in at least one fish and 73 of these teams each weighed in a limit of five fish.  Just under a thousand pounds of fish were weighed and Gavin Smith & Clark Brasfield weighed the biggest fish of all, which was a healthy 5-15 lunker.

Ryan Soles and James Brooks stunned the field when they laid 20-12 on the scales to take home the GHSA Finals Title.  Bryson Dover and Angel Cornejo finished second with 17-12.  Roper Putnam and Andrew Higgins finished third with a good sack weighing 16-03.  Fourth belonged to Reece Mutter and Charles Roberts with another good bag weighing 15-14.  Rounding out the top five was Jackson Thomas and Cole Bradley with 15 pounds even.  All five of these teams were awarded a spot in the National Championship later this summer on Lake Hartwell.

As with many events that are held in May, the bite was mostly a shallow one with anglers catching most of their fish in less than five feet of water.   Crankbaits, Chatterbaits, Topwater and Flukes were the most productive lures.  Most teams were fishing around chunk rocks or wooden structure to catch their fish.  Many teams were fishing on the longer sloping points for fish who were getting ready to head to the backs of the creeks to spawn.  All in all, a really good season with a really good ending.

For full results and more photos from this event CLICK HERE.

Early AM thunderstorms raced through the area on the eve of the AR High School State championship on Lake Dardanelle. By 6:30 am the skies had begun to clear as the front pushed off to the south. Post frontal conditions didn’t shut down the bite on the Arkansas river as anglers took to the waters in search for the Rapala crushing conservation five live fish limit.

North Arkansas team of Alex Coyner and partner Lucas Mars topped the scales with five fish, a Rapala’s Crush City’s crushing conservation limit weighing 13 pounds and 15 ounces. The team took home the big Win and a berth to the 15^th annual High School Fishing World Finals & National Championship.

Second Place by the Tie breakers also weighing 13 pounds and 15 ounces was Jackson Roumbanis and Lawson Lewis. Roumbanis and Lewis also secured their ticket to compete in the 2024 National Championship this June on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, SC.

Third place was Cohen Duncan and Dante Snowden with a five live limit at 13 pounds and 14 ounces. The third-place team also won the Lew’s big Bass award with a set of Lew’s reels for their efforts.

Congratulations to all of the top teams for their success and we want to thank each of the SAF students who came out and competed on Lake Dardanelle.

Teams of anglers from all around Eastern Kentucky came together at Green River State Park to try and qualify for the KHSAA State Finals on Kentucky Lake in early May.  Once again this year, there were two differ3ent categories, an All-Female Division along with the regular High School Division.  In Region 3 there were five All Female teams that participated this year.  Each of the five female teams caught fish and punched their tickets to the Finals round.  The South Laurel Cardinal team of Hailey Anderson and Brooklynn Martin won the contest with four fish that weighed 7-10.  Emilee Curry and Mackenzi Curry of Corbin High School finished second with 3-07.  Third place was Ashlen Young and Lydia Turner who weighed 3-01.  Fourth belonged to the Boyle County team of Allie Addison and Abigail Short who weighed 2-10 and claimed Big Bass honors with that nice Spotted Bass.  Fifth place went to Michela Smith and Lorelai Prewitt with 1-01 pounds.  Congratulations and Best of Luck to all of the Female teams in the upcoming State Finals.

The other Division was won by the North Laurel Jaguar team of Carson Elza and Nick Davidson with their impressive catch of 19-06 pounds.  That massive catch was anchored by the Big Bass of the event which was a huge 6-04 lunker.  Runners up were Brayson Claunch and Cameron Owens with another big bag that weighed 18-11 pounds.  Rounding out the top three was the South Laurel team of Braydon Hodges and Landon Alexander with a 16-11 limit.  Grant Miller and Dalton Fisher took fourth with 14-05 and Keenan and Coleman Stewart took fifth with 14-00 pounds.

The talk was mostly how the fish were being caught shallow, in less than five feet of water.  Several people reported that they were sight fishing, while others said they were using electronics to find their fish.  Chatterbaits, spinnerbaits and a variety of soft plastics were most angler’s choices.  Teams reported catching fish around brush piles, chunk rocks and behind the shallow ends on boat docks.  Lots of limits were weighed and most all teams weighed in at least one fish.

To see all the results and photos CLICK HERE.