Volunteer for high-school fishing
I went through a tournament-fishing phase when I was in my 20s and thought I had outgrown my bream-fishing childhood. I fished the old Greenwell Springs Marine Pro-Am as a no-boater and was a member of Sunshine Bass Club.
Hey, I can even count myself as one of those elite anglers who has pocketed Bassmaster Classic money, having earned a $500 check during the 1999 Classic when media members competed for the biggest bass during the event’s last practice day.
I’ll never forget the thrill of catching that 4-pounder while fishing in Bayou Black’s Orange Grove with pro Scott Rook, who was at least as excited as I was about the catch (he also won $500).
I stopped fishing tournaments about 15 years ago, as family and church became more important in my life. Today, I only fish a small company tournament each year with one of my best friends. Yeah, there’s money at stake, but mostly it’s just a way for us to go fishing.
But I still love tournaments. I spent four glorious years almost a decade ago flying all over the country as a senior writer for B.A.S.S. covering that organization’s events, and I enjoyed every minute of it. And met some great people who I still count as friends today.
There’s just one problem with tournaments —and it’s a doozy.
Tournament anglers all too often become so focused on competition that they don’t take the time to pass their passion to their children.
The result is a large number of youngsters who have turned to other forms of recreation. And they might never take up the sport of their dads and grandfathers.
That’s why it’s so great to see high-school fishing moving into Louisiana. This is the second year of the Bassmaster High School series, and there is now a push to grow the number of school teams involved.
This initiative is a wonderful opportunity to encourage the next generation of anglers, giving them the ability to compete on the state level just like they can in football, baseball, baseketball and other high-school sports. And, unlike most of the other sports program, high-school anglers can earn tickets to national-level competitions.
However, high-school bass fishing can only be successful if adults are involved, since participating youngsters can’t drive their own boats. That means adults must be available to run these athletes from spot to spot.
So it’s time to give back. Yes, that means losing a few days of tournament practice. And, no, you won’t be able to fish.
But you’ll have the satisfaction of watching fishing passion grow in these young anglers — and there’s no better way to ensure fishing continues.
