Justin Watts and Alex Heintze of the Livingston Parish Bassmasters had only five bites Wednesday on Kentucky Lake, but the bites came quick and early.
The resulting catch weighing 20 pounds, 10 ounces has the anglers from Baton Rouge, La., in the lead at the Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by TNT Fireworks.
The early success influenced the anglers to abandon their hot spot on the lake at 10:30 a.m., with the idea of saving it for tomorrow.
“The day went as we planned,” Watts said. “We just decided to go look for other similar areas.”
“Our primary area is about 300 yards long, so we wanted to find more water so we can start there tomorrow, do the same thing over again,” Heintze added.
That was a good idea, considering the second-place team of Matt Shirley and Cade Barnes are in easy striking distance of the lead. The team, from Tuscaloosa County High School in Alabama, finished the day with a weight of 20 pounds.
They, too, had an early bite that resonated with fishing successes of the top teams.
“We have about 20 spots and two different patterns going for us,” Shirley said.
He did not disclose bait details, but the one-two punch involves a reaction lure, followed up by a finesse fishing bait.
“Once we find the sweet spot of where the bass are holding, we can slow down and hone in on them,” Barnes said.
The best scenario for the team is to have most of those spots still saved from practice.
“Today we didn’t get to all of our fishing spots, so we have plenty of water,” Barnes added.
That can be good and bad on this fishery. During summer, a majority of the best bass fishing happens offshore. The bass favor the river-generated current that provides cooler water and attracts baitfish. The bass follow the food, meaning success hinges on being at the right place, at the right time.
Ben Muse and Taylor Cox of Carrollton High School in Texas are in third place with 19 pounds. Cox and Morgan Winegardner of Maryland are the only two females competing in the tournament.
The championship is the culmination of a season of qualifying events held throughout the U.S. and Canada. A record number of B.A.S.S.-affiliated high schools are competing in the championship — 132 qualified teams representing 37 states and Ontario.
Thursday the tournament field is cut to the Top 10 teams. Those ranked 11th through 50th will fish on Friday at Carroll County Thousand Acre Recreational Lake. The objective is to provide a second qualifying chance while bringing another level of competition to the event. The two highest finishing teams join the Top 10 for the final day Saturday on Kentucky Lake.
Thursday’s launch will take place at Paris Landing State Park at 5:30 a.m. CT. The weigh-in will take place at the same location at 1:45 p.m.
Teams are competing for $75,000 in scholarships and prizes. Schools participating in the B.A.S.S. Nation High School Nation program were eligible to qualify two-angler teams for the championship.
High school championship week includes the B.A.S.S. Youth Nation Junior Championship. On Friday, junior teams compete in a qualifying round at Carroll County Thousand Acre Recreational Lake. On Saturday, the teams fish on Kentucky Lake with the high school finalists. The B.A.S.S. Youth Nation is designed to seed the high school program.
Official hosts are Paris-Henry County, Carroll County, Northwest Tennessee Tourism and Bethel University.
2015 Bassmaster High School Title Sponsor: Costa
2015 Bassmaster High School Presenting Sponsor: TNT Fireworks
2015 Bassmaster High School Premier Sponsors: Toyota, ABU Garcia, Berkley, Carhartt, GoPro, Huk Performance Fishing, Triton Boats, Yamaha
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines, Bassmaster website, television show social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by TNT Fireworks – National Championship
7/22/2015 – 7/25/2015
Kentucky Lake – Paris Landing State Park – Paris, TN
STANDINGS DAY 1
Name # Live # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz
1 Alex Heintze – Justin Watts Livingston Parish Bassmasters 5 5 20-10 5 5 20-10
2 Matt Shirley – Cade Barnes Tuscaloosa County High School 5 5 20- 0 5 5 20- 0
3 Taylor Cox – Ben Muse Carrollton High School 5 4 19- 0 5 4 19- 0
4 Cole Moore – Casey Haymon Anacoco High School 5 4 18- 7 5 4 18- 7
5 Braden Blanchard – Cade Fortenberry St Amant High School 5 5 17-11 5 5 17-11
6 Brennan Swanson – Adam Hutmacher Chamberlain HS 5 5 16-12 5 5 16-12
7 J T Russell – Jared Turnbloom Briarwood High School 5 5 16-10 5 5 16-10
8 Hunter Silverstrim – Nathaniel Burris Queen City High School 5 4 16- 6 5 4 16- 6
9 Josh Wissinger – Justin Kanute Hayden High School 5 5 16- 0 5 5 16- 0
10 Taylor Ashley – Chase Kanute Hayden High School 5 5 15-13 5 5 15-13
11 Hunter Bouldin – Samuel Vandagrif Warren County 5 4 15-10 5 4 15-10
12 Nathan Kmiecik – Cole Luetkenhaus Bishop Newman HS 5 5 14-15 5 5 14-15
13 Casey Trosclair – Levi Areno Sulphur High School 5 5 14- 7 5 5 14- 7
14 Cody Stahl – Tate VanEdmond Crosspointe Christian Fishing Club 5 5 14- 3 5 5 14- 3
15 Hunter Courvelle – Alex Erickson Sam Houston High School 5 4 13- 7 5 4 13- 7
16 Tyler Eagan – Jason Thompson Lees Summit West Fishing Club 5 5 13- 6 5 5 13- 6
17 Nathan Walley – Caleb Parker Heidelberg Academy 5 4 13- 4 5 4 13- 4
18 Jeremy Bates – Joshua Holden Bishop Brady HS 4 4 13- 1 4 4 13- 1
19 Bryson Mort – Gabe Littrell Idaho Trophy Bass Hunters 5 4 12-11 5 4 12-11
20 Dillon King – Kody Kelly Livingston Parish Bass Masters – 5 4 12- 8 5 4 12- 8
21 Connor Nimrod – Trevor Watts Desoto Bass Team 4 4 12- 2 4 4 12- 2
22 Michael Arndt – Ryan Hujar New York HS Club 5 4 12- 0 5 4 12- 0
23 Josh Dugger – Jake Dugger Pottsville HS 4 4 11-15 4 4 11-15
24 Carter McNeil – Tucker Smith Abbeville High School 5 4 11- 8 5 4 11- 8
25 Mason Raveling – Ben Provost Prior Lake High Schol 5 5 11- 6 5 5 11- 6
26 Dylan Berry – Chase Berry Madison Anglers 3 3 11- 2 3 3 11- 2
27 Ryan Shields – Austin Hale Hazel Green High School 5 5 10-13 5 5 10-13
28 Blake Seaton – Zack Bauer Martinsville HS 5 5 10-12 5 5 10-12
29 Lucas Lindsay – Logan Parks Auburn Anglers 4 4 10-10 4 4 10-10
30 Dailus Richardson – Trevor McKinney Benton High School 4 4 10- 9 4 4 10- 9
31 Kyle Ingleburger – Kyle Palmer Grundy County HS 3 3 10- 7 3 3 10- 7
32 Tristan Thomas – Dakota Crumely East Hall Anglers 3 3 10- 6 3 3 10- 6
33 Garrett Enders – Nick Osman Susquehanna Valley 5 5 10- 2 5 5 10- 2
34 Joe Koon – Dozier Greer Eufaula HS 4 3 10- 0 4 3 10- 0
35 Grayson Cook – Bryson Galloway Windsor High School 3 3 9-13 3 3 9-13
36 Bailey Nelson – John Justiss Hillcrest High School 4 4 9-10 4 4 9-10
37 Ben Riggs – Nick Ratliff Hardin/LaRue 4 4 9- 9 4 4 9- 9
38 Zeke Gossett – Hayden Bartee Pell City High School 5 5 9- 7 5 5 9- 7
39 Trevor Huff – Logan Meredith Pacific Bass Anglers 3 2 9- 7 3 2 9- 7
40 Jacob Woods – Austin Winter Lenoir City 5 5 9- 4 5 5 9- 4
41 Julius Mazy – Thomas Sendek Arizona High School Club 3 2 9- 4 3 2 9- 4
42 Joseph Bruener – Jack Garner Douglass Indians 3 3 9- 2 3 3 9- 2
43 Andrew Flair – Ethan Mally Omaha Bass Assassins 2 2 8-10 2 2 8-10
44 Connor Edwards – Braden Lovely American Christian Academy 4 4 8- 9 4 4 8- 9
45 Ian Oldenburg – Dawson Lack Pacific Bass Anglers 3 3 7-15 3 3 7-15
46 Russell Butler – Jonathan North Strawberry Crest HS 3 3 7- 7 3 3 7- 7
47 Blake Albertson – Jordan Mullis Southside Anglers 2 2 7- 7 2 2 7- 7
48 Zach Hingson – Tyler Benedict Arthur Levington Atwood Hammond 3 3 7- 6 3 3 7- 6
49 Sean Hall – Kyler McKie North Augusta High School 2 2 6-14 2 2 6-14
50 Cole Schmucker – Chandler Cornelius George Jenkins HS 3 3 6-12 3 3 6-12
51 David Gaston – John McKinney Sylacauga Fishing 2 2 6-12 2 2 6-12
52 Christian Mathews – Cole Ward North Desoto High School 3 3 6-11 3 3 6-11
53 Josh Powers – Cole Stewart Grundy County HS 1 1 6-10 1 1 6-10
54 Keaton Zarr – Michael Yarger Susquehanna Valley Fishing Club 3 3 5-15 3 3 5-15
55 Michael Duarte – Richie Martin Sparrows Point HS 3 3 5-13 3 3 5-13
56 Wyatt Burkhalter – Trace Greene Team Fast & Easy 2 2 5-13 2 2 5-13
57 Travis Frisk – Berlin High School 2 2 5- 8 2 2 5- 8
58 Nick Fulks – John Eckels Canon McMillan High School 2 2 5- 4 2 2 5- 4
59 Nick Embrey – Bryce Tucker UKV Warriors 2 2 5- 2 2 2 5- 2
60 Tyler Dunn – Matthew Shrewsbury Beddingfield Bassers 1 1 5- 1 1 1 5- 1
61 Cooper Gallant – Danny McGarry 905 HS Bass Club 1 1 5- 0 1 1 5- 0
62 Kaleb Appling – Quintin Dorough Chelsea High School 2 2 4-15 2 2 4-15
62 Colton Fountain – Brett Herrin Kirbyville Wildcat Bassmasters 2 2 4-15 2 2 4-15
64 Austin Gaab – Jacob Jones Susquehanna Valley Fishing Club 2 2 4-14 2 2 4-14
65 Dustin Johnston – Trevor Brown Beulah Bass Team 2 2 4-13 2 2 4-13
66 Liam Blake – Matthew Brien McQuad Jesuit HS 2 2 4-12 2 2 4-12
66 Sammy Camut – Griffin Barnes Beddingfield High School Club 2 2 4-12 2 2 4-12
66 Joe McClosky – Morgan Winegardner Southern Garrett Bass Slayers 2 2 4-12 2 2 4-12
69 Michael Scaggs – Derek Null Lawrence Co Hs 2 2 4-10 2 2 4-10
70 Will Moffett – Kyle McCormick Franklin County High School 1 1 4- 9 1 1 4- 9
71 Allex Conner – Jeremy Reese Central Ohio School Bass Club 2 2 4- 7 2 2 4- 7
72 Jesse Heflin – Cameron Pappan Capital City HS Bass Club 2 2 4- 3 2 2 4- 3
73 Sam Milazzo – Nick Martens Maine South 2 2 4- 2 2 2 4- 2
74 Rudd Rexford – Max Bellinghiri South Burlington HS 2 2 4- 0 2 2 4- 0
75 Tyler Lubbat – Hunter Lubbat Buffalo Grove Bass Fishing 1 0 3-13 1 0 3-13
76 Luke Jasper – Tommy Rimbo Lemont High School 2 2 3-11 2 2 3-11
77 Nick Beers – Carter Williams Grand Haven Bassmasters 1 0 3- 8 1 0 3- 8
78 Damian Privat – David Spielberger Woodward Academy 2 2 3- 7 2 2 3- 7
79 Bowdi Armstrong – Emily Pollard Mesilla Valley Bass Anglers 1 1 3- 7 1 1 3- 7
80 Colton Haney – Noah Lindus BW Bassers 2 2 3- 6 2 2 3- 6
81 Evan Bramhill – Teddy Peznola Mass BN High School Club 1 1 3- 6 1 1 3- 6
82 Colton Harrell – Ryan Geraghty Riley’s Catch 1 1 3- 4 1 1 3- 4
83 Spencer Lambert – Jeffrey Tyler West Monroe Rebel Bass Club 2 2 3- 3 2 2 3- 3
84 Christian King – Will Nichols Alexandria High School 1 1 3- 1 1 1 3- 1
85 Jonathon Wilburn – Connor Jones Guntersville High School 1 1 3- 0 1 1 3- 0
86 Cole Burdeshaw – Jacob Hartzog Headland Bass Team 1 1 2-15 1 1 2-15
87 Max McQuiade – Conner Foley MA High School 1 1 2-14 1 1 2-14
88 Luke Brozovich – Canyon Kenny Minooka Anglers Club 1 1 2-14 1 1 2-14
89 Bailey Fain – Justin Selvidge Lenoir City High School 1 1 2-13 1 1 2-13
89 Trace O’Dell – Lucas Sammons Buna High School 1 1 2-13 1 1 2-13
91 Brady Frank – Alec Schmidt Eastern IA HS Club 1 1 2-10 1 1 2-10
92 Nicholas Wiggins – Lane Possoit Natchitoches Central High School 1 1 2- 8 1 1 2- 8
93 Eli Chambers – Hunter Herfurth Vinemont High School 1 1 2- 4 1 1 2- 4
94 Ryan Winchester – Jacob Mashburn Clinton High School 1 1 2- 3 1 1 2- 3
95 Cole Sands – Caden Watson Walker Valley High School 1 1 2- 1 1 1 2- 1
95 Trevor Yates – Evan Wahpekeche LIttle Axe Bass Club 1 1 2- 1 1 1 2- 1
97 Matt Hasenfratz – Trevor Owens Ponca City HS Bass 1 1 2- 0 1 1 2- 0
97 Colten Smith – Rafet White Strawberry Crest HS 1 1 2- 0 1 1 2- 0
99 James Graves III – Kadin Thens Madison Anglers 1 1 1-14 1 1 1-14
100 Justin Barnes – Sutton Black Monroe Student Bass Anglers 1 1 1-13 1 1 1-13
100 Jason Felter – Anthony Mello Idaho Trophy Bass Hunters 1 1 1-13 1 1 1-13
102 Case Anderson – Grant Hodosi Grundy County HS 1 1 1-10 1 1 1-10
103 Fischer Keel – Auburn Anglers 1 1 1- 9 1 1 1- 9
104 Sam Morgan – Eldon Posey Grundy Co 1 1 1- 6 1 1 1- 6
105 Brett Avery – Drake Vines Magnolia Bass Cats 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Sam Barwick – Max Brandon Guntersville High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Chris Bee – Alec Lipon Hartland Eagles Bass Club 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Clayton Childs – Sawyer Stewart North Oconee Titans 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Sean Cook – Tommy Zobel Joliet Central High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Gil Crew – Reese Kingston Alexander HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Dray Davis – Brandon Lawson Union County Bass Club 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Andrew Denton – Scotty Alexander Mustang HS Club 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Reece Eddleblute – Randy Denney Buckeye State Student Anglers 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Austin Eiben – Isaiah Minton Eastern IA HS Clu b 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Kameron Fox – Nathan Burrow Bryant-Conway HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Will Garrett – Haynes Waid Auburn Anglers 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Ian Goff – Genry Ellison Jackson Co Homeschool 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Adan Hernandez – Alexander Holquin Mesilla Valley Bass Anglers 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Joseph Kovatch – Wade Pritsel Hartley Hawgs 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Andrew Marcantel – Cole Talbot Sulphur High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Blaine Marks – Logan O’Dell Buna High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Matt Miller – Adrian Stafford Southside Anglers 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Jake Mims – Noah Rega Alexander High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Nick Montilino – Edina HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Noah Pescitelli – Chris Moody Mill Creek High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Devin Prine – Trace Crumpton Buna High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Kreston Richardson – Dalton Askew Buna High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Tyler Spiers – Daniel Medvetz John Stark HS Bass Team 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Seth Utt – Brian Moore Eastgate Life Academy 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Alex Williamson – Daniel Rodgers Windham Christian Academy 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Noah Winslow – Doug Marino Nonnewaug HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Ryan Wood – Turner Mason Front Range Bass Club 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
105 Trae Wright – Tripp Hodges Sylacauga HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0
134 Tanner Bruyninckx – Brad Wilson North Augusta Fishing Team 0 0 -1- 0 0 0 -1- 0
BIG BASS
Day Name City,State Lbs-Oz
1 Jeremy Bates – Joshua HoldeCnhichester, NH 6-12
TOTALS
Day # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits
1 291 276 806- 9 27
By: Helen White, Bassmaster
