Cruising through the cypress trees on a Lake Bistineau fishing trip with Charlie King. Jimmy Watson/The Times
The explosion of high school bass fishing was fully on display Saturday afternoon at the North Louisiana High School Fishing League Bass Tournament during the 2018 State Fair of Louisiana’s Boat, Sport and RV Show.
The second annual event attracted 117 two-person teams easily eclipsing the adults’ “Boat Show” Tournament weighing in just across the fair’s midway. The high school anglers now have 156 teams from at least 17 Shreveport-Bossier City area high schools signed up to participate in the 2018 trail.
That’s up from 42 teams from five schools just two years ago.
“I believe this area will hit 200 boats next year and 300 the following year and this is due to the explosive growth,” said Arkansas Youth Fishing Foundation director Chuck Phillips, who conducted Saturday’s weigh-in. “It’s because of the travel to fish in this area. You have a lot of places to fish within an hour and a half. In Arkansas, we average 100 boats, but our kids average traveling three hours to compete.”
High school champions of Saturday’s event were Northwood sophomore Ethan Crager and freshman Tyler Moore. The duo mined 10.30 pounds in the 2-bass limit out of Caddo Lake.
“This was pretty great. It was his first tournament to fish,” Crager said motioning toward Moore. “My dad’s friend told us about some baits to use and some spots to try. We followed that and it worked out.”
Second place went to Bennett Hopkins and Tyler Hilton (Parkway) with 7.17 pounds, third to Richard Martin and Conner Hermes (North DeSoto) with 7.09, fourth to Collin Orgeron and Landen LeBlanc (North DeSoto) with 6.95 and fifth to Braydon Nichols and Dawson Maloney (Northwood) with 6.95. Hilton/Hopkins also won big bass with a 7.17-pound lunker pulled out of Grand Bayou on an Alabama rig.
The youth were presented plaques and some prizes for their top finishes.
Across the way, the Landers-Ram Boat Show tournament was won by veterans Jeff Pate and Eddie Shaw, who hauled in 12.51 pounds on their two-bass limit. They won $2,800 for that haul, plus another $500 for the Gator Tail big bass weighing 6.87 pounds.
Second place was captured by Don Rolland and Mathew Tucker with 11.30 pounds good for $1,700. Third went to Tommy Conly and Mike Lee (10.82, $1,300), fourth to James Blyter and Mike Leppert (9.16, $900) and fifth went to Kevin Lettau and Scott Pickett (9.16, $800).
Every angler who weighed fish in the adult competition received a check.
Twitter: @JimmyWatson6
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