Top high school anglers to compete here Sunday

Georgia BASS Nation High School Fishing will hosting its first Angler of the Year Tournament this Sunday, Feb. 23 at Tired Creek Lake.

This special tournament features high school anglers from across the state who are in the Top 20 ranking thus far in the season. Anglers have been competing for this status since tournaments began in September. Previous tournaments have been held at West Point Lake, Lake Lanier, Lake Chatuge and Lake Eufaula.  Those eligible to fish in the Tired Creek tournament will be determined and announced after the fifth tournament of the year, which will be held on Lake Seminole on Saturday. The event on Sunday will get underway at 6 a.m., according to tournament officials, and will wrap up at 3 p.m.

Teams will consist of two high school anglers and one adult boat captain. The Tired Creek Lake Angler of the Year Tournament will consist of the top 20 teams bringing 40 anglers and 20 boat captains to the lake to compete in a special smaller-scale tournament with a few extra perks.

Brookwood School’s Bass Fishing Team, comprised of Bradley Cohen of Whigham and Ben Sanders of Thomasville, will serve as hosts for the tournament. Numerous Grady County businesses and organizations are sponsoring promotional apparel to be given to the anglers and boat captains with the purpose of bringing attention to Grady County and Tired Creek Lake. In addition, some are sponsoring breakfast and lunch for the tournament participants.

“We are thrilled with the outpouring of support from Grady County businesses and organizations towards promoting our county and lake. We are honored to have Georgia BASS Nation’s top anglers fishing Tired Creek Lake and look forward to showing them the ultimate Grady County hospitality,” says Steven Childs, chairman of the Grady County Lake Authority.

“I’m very thankful for our sponsors, this trail and high school bass fishing in general. We started this trail eight years ago with an average of 25 boats. We have experienced growth each year and are now close to a 200 boat average at each tournament. We have touched and changed many lives in those eight years. I’ve gotten many thank-you letters from parents saying this program changed their child’s life. This group of bass fishing kids is very close and so many friendships are made. It’s been so rewarding for my family as well as my partner, Michelle Volk.  We are both very thankful for the support from everyone. I can’t wait to host the first-ever high school tournament in my hometown that I dearly love, Cairo, Georgia!!!” said tournament director Wes Meadows.

“This is a great opportunity for these young people to experience Southwest Georgia and to fish on one of the prettiest and best fishing lakes in this state. We are certainly glad to host this event on Tired Creek Lake and hope it is just the first of many such events to be held on our lake,” said J.C. (Buddy) Johnson III, Grady County administrator.

Johnson said he remains hopeful that the weather cooperates and the fishermen can access State Park Road and stage the tournament from the main boat landing there. “It seems like we open the road and the next day it rains. We are going to do whatever we can to have it open and the main landing available for this special event,” Johnson added.

Trophies and plaques will be awarded to those in 1st-5th place.  Final weigh-ins are planned to take place around 3 p.m. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the weigh-in and show their support of these young anglers representing high schools from around the state.

For more information about Georgia BASS Nation High School Fishing or how to start a club or team, contact Wes Meadows at (229) 416-5661 or email gabassnationhs@gmail.com.