The Elk Mound High School duo of Cole Steinhorst and Blaze Todd, both of Elk Mound, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 15 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Whitefish Chain Open presented by YETI tournament. The win advanced the team to the 2018 High School Fishing National championship, held June 26-30, on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.
According to post-tournament reports, the duo fished docks using white- and black and blue-colored swimbaits.
A field of 96 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Moonlite Bay in Crosslake. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top nine teams on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes that advanced to the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Elk Mound High School, Elk Mound, Wis. – Cole Steinhorst & Blaze Todd, both of Elk Mound, Wis., five bass, 15-14, $400
2nd: Brainerd High School, Brainerd, Minn. – Leana Ruggles and Lexus Ruggles, both of Brainerd, Minn., five bass, 15-12
3rd: Pequot Lakes High School, Pequot Lakes, Minn. – Grant Loge, Breezy Point, Miss., and Ryan Foty-Helmer, Pequot Lakes, five bass, 15-7
4th: St. Michael-Albertville High School, St. Michael, Minn. – Tyler Suchla and Brant Lewis, both of St. Michael, Minn., five bass, 15-4
5th: Brainerd High School, Brainerd, Minn. – Wyatt Cronin and Austin Neyens, both of Brainerd, Minn., five bass, 15-4
6th: Pequot Lakes High School, Pequot Lakes, Minn. – Dylan Semler, Merrifield, Minn., and Hunter Wendt, Pequot Lakes, five bass, 14-9
7th: Catholic Central High School, Burlington, Wis. – Jacob Bigelow, Cecil, Wis., and Bailey Bleser, Burlington, Wis., five bass, 14-7, $400
8th: St. Michael-Albertville High School, St. Michael, Minn. – Haley Peterson and Courtney Jenniges, both of St. Michael, Minn., five bass, 14-1
9th: Becker High School, Becker, Minn. – Jon Novak and Jacob Novak, both of Clear Lake, Minn., five bass, 13-15
The 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Whitefish Chain Open was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2018 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2017 World Finals more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.
Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2018 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct 286 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros.
About The Bass Federation
The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is a member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. TBF is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. The Federation is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing, youth and conservation organization there is. TBF, our affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 events each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 45 years. TBF founded the Student Angler Federation and the National High School Fishing program in 2008 to promote clean family fun and education through fishing.
By: Joe Opager, Director of Public Relations
