My kids never did HS tournament fishing, but I captained a team just once in April of last year. I copied and pasted my experience from my social media page below. Thought that it was worth sharing the positive experience as y'all prepare for the season. I'll try to add a couple pics from my phone after this. Also, reach out with any questions to help prepare.
My 1st experience in the role of high school bass fishing tournament boat captain couldn’t have went any better.
I have a considerable audience of fb angler friends here that are passionate about their own (adult) tournament fishing endeavors. I want to share a little insight from my first experience as a high school team boat captain with you, in hopes that my experience will help influence a few of y’all to take advantage of a captaining opportunity also.
(Long read, but if ya love competitive fishing and have ever even slightly wondered about what it might be like donating your time and experience to the high school kids then this read is for you
)
I was approached 3 weeks prior to this TBF SAF High School Fishing State Championship event by a parent that explained that their son currently did not have a captain for this event. I was asked if it would be something I’d consider. I had always wondered what it was like to captain when I’d see the HS teams here out on the lake. On one hand I was nervous because that’s a lot of folks to disappoint if the boys have a tough event. However, I embraced the challenge and accepted.
Wyatt F and Reece F (both seniors) are the MISD anglers i teamed up with. The week leading up to the tournament arrived and I reached out to the boys letting them know that I would be available to practice with them after school anytime that they were ready for that week. We set things up and then put the work in pre-fishing Lake Conroe. The boys’ fishing IQ’s far exceeded their years. We closed out the practice week Friday with a solid plan for Saturday tournament day which included sight fishing a couple specific spawners early and then switching over to a little deeper post spawn pattern immediately afterward.
As you see in the photos we were under a fog delay and lost 1-1/2 hrs of fishing time that morning. We got to the first spot where we had left a 6+ lb sight fish that we located in practice the afternoon before. Wyatt took the lead on the first kicker sight fish and executed to perfection with the Power Tackle, Inc. “The One” 04 HM Rod in his hands with 25 lb Tatsu. The boys picked up another keeper sight fish quickly , and then we moved on out of the spawning pockets. The boys worked their tails off the next 4 hrs to piece together 4 additional keeper fish including a second kicker close to 6 lbs that Reece swung on and landed flawlessly in the final 90 minutes of fishing.
We closed out the day and arrived back at the weigh in to a big crowd of spectators including of course both Wyatt and Reece’s parents. As you can see in the pics and videos the boys had a 21.25 lb sack of fish and achieved their goal of winning the title of TBF SAF High School Fishing State Champions. I can not say enough positive things about the parents of both boys in relation to the abundance of gratitude that they showed to me immediately following the completion of the event. In the category of tournament fishing, this personal experience is way on up there in the top tier of fishing experiences. Thank you Matt C for connecting us to make this experience possible. Congratulations again Wyatt and Reece! Y’all earned it fellas.
On a side note-
When it comes to this generation of teens as a whole, a lot of older folks have a preconceived notion that they assume applies to the majority of teens nowadays. They assume that the teens just keep their face buried in their phones, that most aren’t willing to put in the work necessary to chase difficult accomplishments , and that they don’t show adults an appropriate level of respect nowadays. Let me stop that notion right there to give a shout out to Leslie Cone Ford, Wayne Ford, and the Findleys for their their roles in raising young Men that are respectful, hungry to achieve greatness, willing to work hard towards their goal, and have a high level of awareness in taking care of other peoples property. Well done parents and thank you for trusting me with your boys. The Honor was absolutely mine just to be be a part of the boys’ accomplishment.
*If any of my own grown kids by some small chance have read this far down my post then yes y’all know that I feel the same way about the way y’all represent too*
Btw- some of y’all might wonder what a captain can and can not do.
Can-
can operate troll motor, can net fish, can give advice, and can care for fish in livewell
Can Not- can’t Cast a rod or set the hook on fish in any way, can’t tie the kids lures on, and can’t get the kids lures unhung from trees etc.
~ Matthew 5:16 ~
My 1st experience in the role of high school bass fishing tournament boat captain couldn’t have went any better.
I have a considerable audience of fb angler friends here that are passionate about their own (adult) tournament fishing endeavors. I want to share a little insight from my first experience as a high school team boat captain with you, in hopes that my experience will help influence a few of y’all to take advantage of a captaining opportunity also.
(Long read, but if ya love competitive fishing and have ever even slightly wondered about what it might be like donating your time and experience to the high school kids then this read is for you
)I was approached 3 weeks prior to this TBF SAF High School Fishing State Championship event by a parent that explained that their son currently did not have a captain for this event. I was asked if it would be something I’d consider. I had always wondered what it was like to captain when I’d see the HS teams here out on the lake. On one hand I was nervous because that’s a lot of folks to disappoint if the boys have a tough event. However, I embraced the challenge and accepted.
Wyatt F and Reece F (both seniors) are the MISD anglers i teamed up with. The week leading up to the tournament arrived and I reached out to the boys letting them know that I would be available to practice with them after school anytime that they were ready for that week. We set things up and then put the work in pre-fishing Lake Conroe. The boys’ fishing IQ’s far exceeded their years. We closed out the practice week Friday with a solid plan for Saturday tournament day which included sight fishing a couple specific spawners early and then switching over to a little deeper post spawn pattern immediately afterward.
As you see in the photos we were under a fog delay and lost 1-1/2 hrs of fishing time that morning. We got to the first spot where we had left a 6+ lb sight fish that we located in practice the afternoon before. Wyatt took the lead on the first kicker sight fish and executed to perfection with the Power Tackle, Inc. “The One” 04 HM Rod in his hands with 25 lb Tatsu. The boys picked up another keeper sight fish quickly , and then we moved on out of the spawning pockets. The boys worked their tails off the next 4 hrs to piece together 4 additional keeper fish including a second kicker close to 6 lbs that Reece swung on and landed flawlessly in the final 90 minutes of fishing.
We closed out the day and arrived back at the weigh in to a big crowd of spectators including of course both Wyatt and Reece’s parents. As you can see in the pics and videos the boys had a 21.25 lb sack of fish and achieved their goal of winning the title of TBF SAF High School Fishing State Champions. I can not say enough positive things about the parents of both boys in relation to the abundance of gratitude that they showed to me immediately following the completion of the event. In the category of tournament fishing, this personal experience is way on up there in the top tier of fishing experiences. Thank you Matt C for connecting us to make this experience possible. Congratulations again Wyatt and Reece! Y’all earned it fellas.
On a side note-
When it comes to this generation of teens as a whole, a lot of older folks have a preconceived notion that they assume applies to the majority of teens nowadays. They assume that the teens just keep their face buried in their phones, that most aren’t willing to put in the work necessary to chase difficult accomplishments , and that they don’t show adults an appropriate level of respect nowadays. Let me stop that notion right there to give a shout out to Leslie Cone Ford, Wayne Ford, and the Findleys for their their roles in raising young Men that are respectful, hungry to achieve greatness, willing to work hard towards their goal, and have a high level of awareness in taking care of other peoples property. Well done parents and thank you for trusting me with your boys. The Honor was absolutely mine just to be be a part of the boys’ accomplishment.
*If any of my own grown kids by some small chance have read this far down my post then yes y’all know that I feel the same way about the way y’all represent too*
Btw- some of y’all might wonder what a captain can and can not do.
Can-
can operate troll motor, can net fish, can give advice, and can care for fish in livewell
Can Not- can’t Cast a rod or set the hook on fish in any way, can’t tie the kids lures on, and can’t get the kids lures unhung from trees etc.
~ Matthew 5:16 ~
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