Bears Bring Home A Check

Congratulations to Nellie Stephens Miller and her LCM high school bass fishing team on their performance in last weekend’s National High School

championship on Kentucky Lake. While the fishing conditions could not have been more foreign to a group of southeast Texas high school fishermen, the Bears proved to be quick learners. The team of Dylan Istre and Mckee Ridgaway managed to fish their way through the massive field of 250 qualifiers from all over the country and earn the opportunity to fish championship Saturday with only eleven other teams! That elite group and their volunteer Captains were greeted by a bone chilling north wind that delayed the starting time Saturday morning. Dylan and Mckee were unable to grind out a single fish, but were still able to hang onto their eleventh place and earn a $1000 scholarship check. Only one team weighed in a five fish limit and even the winners caught only two fish! Behind the scenes there is a very dedicated group of adult supporters that make dream events like this an unforgettable reality for these youngsters. Miller is seemingly at it year round, but everyone from local sponsors to designated boat Captains like Blake Istre make this opportunity possible. Yet another pair of local young men that honed their skills in these same high school events will fish in the National Collegiate Championship on Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida this weekend. Jack Tindel and Brett Fregia earned their ticket on Toledo Bend earlier in the year and will represent Lamar in the three day event. While neither of the anglers have ever fished this venue, techniques that they have refined right here in local marshes will serve them well.

Winning a national championship is the ultimate goal, but the pot will be sweetened substantially as the top four teams will also earn a chance

to compete for a berth in the 2021 Bassmaster College Series Classic in November. Good luck to the team. Stay safe and enjoy the moment! I cannot believe that Louisiana is looking at the possibility of enduring yet another hurricane this late in the year, but aside from some rain we should be ok this time. We may also be looking at a little more cool weather and that will only help both the salt and fresh water fishermen on the local scene. Three flounder over five pounds in a single weekend has easily garnered the most attention recently, but the bass fishing has been darn near as good. One of the big flounder came out of East Pass, one out of Black’s Bayou and reportedly, the third was caught at the north pipes on the revetment wall. All three fish were caught on live bait! On the fresh water side, Mike Davis caught and released two bass fishing a chrome Trap in Cow Bayou last Thursday. Mike said he probably caught fifteen or more fish in less than two hours. He also shared the fact that he found the bass in two similar spots in twelve feet of water. “I thought they were redfish when I saw them suspended that deep on my graph, but I never caught the first red,” he said.“I have been fishing those deeper fish since late September and more often than not, they have been redfish. I have done a lot more riding and looking at my recorder than casting, but it has paid off!”