The Seminole Junior Anglers were well represented in one of the largest high school tournaments in the nation this past month, the TBF National Championship and High School World Finals. These tournaments were simultaneously held on Lake Pickwick in Florence, Alabama, and consisted of over 380 teams from throughout the United States. The teams of Kyle Grissom and Zach Temperly, Dylan Westhelle and Jacob Rosser, Devin Been and Eric Simmons earned their allexpense paid trips by finishing in the top 3 in season standings for the Seminole Junior Anglers. The team of Justin Rosser and Austin Riggs also earned a birth by having a top 3 performance at the FLW State Event held on the St. Johns River in Palatka. All of the teams arrived early to take full advantage of the practice days prior to the tournament, and worked to figure out ledge fishing and other techniques they don’t encounter on Florida Lakes. Many teams ventured to Wilson Lake, another lake of the Tennessee River that is connected by a lock and dam system.
The team of Dylan Westhelle and Jacob Rosser as well as the team of Kyle Grissom and Zach Temperly had a strong showing the first day of the World Finals portion of the event. However, it was Kyle and Zach with a two-day total of 18lbs who were able to secure a 2nd place finish for the State of Florida and move onto the semi-final round on day three. The other teams were able to compete in the 2nd chance round on day three, still trying to get into the final day’s event. In the end, the teams did not come home with trophies, but did take away an experience of a lifetime and lots of lessons learned about the sport of bass fishing. It was a truly eye-opening event at the large scale of what high school fishing has become. Thank you to our sponsors and supporters who helped make it possible for these eight anglers to take part in this tournament, and most importantly to the boat captains who made the journey from Florida to Alabama with their boats to allow these kids to fish.
We would also like to recognize all of the seniors who will be moving on and who have put in countless hours into the program: Jacob Rosser, Lee Blackwood, Brock Buckner, Ethan Bronson, and Jake Hutcheson. We wish them the best in their future endeavors on and off the water. And finally, thank you to Instant Insurance for sponsoring this article and allowing us to share the accomplishments and experiences of these high school anglers.
