The 2026 Louisiana High School state championship started off with a bang. With predicted rain and weather thinking we would have a rough start it turned out beautiful for the morning ceremonies and take off.
Teams got underway and the fishing commenced. With predictions of spawning bass hopes were high for that big bass and big bags.
Our first place 2026 state championship team may have waited and weighed in last. But they certainly came in first Zeb Ates and partner Richie Faust had a huge uphill battle with a substantial weight of 19 pounds and 12-ounce bag already in the lead.
As the weigh-in was winding down, we brought up our current leaders for the grand finale and Ates and Faust brought up their bag of fish. After seeing the bag, we knew there was a chance.
The scales settled with tensions high, Ates and Faust knew they had it won with 5 fish all alive weighing in at an impressive 21 pounds and 8 ounces. Zeb and Richie also had a great kicker fish that would secure them with the honors of big fish award with a big fish weighing 9 pound 2 ounces.
The team on the stage waiting for the scales to settle was Peyton Bennett and Brayden Pye they had held a commanding lead for quite some time with nearly a 20-pound sack. Bennett and Pye also had a great day on the water with 19 pounds and 12ounces landed them in 2nd place.
Our third-place team Clint Turrentine and Michael Watkins also had a great day on Lake D’Arbonne weighing a 5 fish limit at 18 pounds and 8 ounces.
In 4th place and a brand-new High School team was Nate Sylvestri Partnered with Hinton Carroll who took the lead early on with 15 pounds and 13 ounces.
And rounding out the field with 13pounds 3 ounces went to Chandler Brown & Luke Moss giving them 5th place also securing the team with a national berth to the 17th Annual High School Fishing World Finals & National Championship.
The top 5 teams all win National Berths to this year’s 17th annual High School Fishing World Finals & National Championship, held on Lake Cumberland, Russell Springs, KY.
Remember all active SAF member teams can each register online and come fish the World Finals with a great chance to make the World Finals Championship final day and have opportunity to some great scholarships and prizes.
