2023 Bass Fishing State Championship

MAY 20, 2023 GHSA BASS FISHING State Championship CLARKS HILL LAKE

2023 GHSA BASS FISHING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS \

WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

WELCOME GHSA BASS FISHING FANS

MAY 20, 2023 @ CLARKS HILL LAKE 6:15 AM - TAKEOFF 3 PM - WEIGH-IN BEGINS

W

elcome to the 2023 GHSA Bass Fishing State Championships! Today’s event is sure to be exciting as all of the schools represented are looking forward to their team achieving the title of “Champion”. However, we all know that all of our teams are outstanding and are definitely winners. This has been an outstanding season and this year’s championships will include familiar faces as well as teams that have worked hard and peaked at just the right time. Our congratulations are in order for all of the teams, coaches, administrators, students and parents who have supported the athletes through this year’s journey to the state championships.

Wildwood Park Ramp 3780 Dogwood Lane Appling, GA 30802

I would also like to thank you for your support of high school bass fishing throughout the season.

Your support is integral to the success of high school athletics and for the team and anglers you are here to cheer on. Good sportsmanship is expected from our athletes, and I urge you to be positive in your support of all of our teams. Let’s work together to make today’s event a great experience for all involved.

To put on an event of this magnitude takes many volunteers who have worked tirelessly to provide a “first-class” event. The GHSA staff has been working for weeks as well to ensure a special event for all involved.

The 2023 Georgia High School Association Bass Fishing Championship Guide is published by Score Media, a division of Score Atlanta, in conjunction with the GHSA. The guide was designed by Laura Grieve, and edited by Craig Sager II, Seth Ellerbee and Graham David.

Information provided by the GHSA and photos on the cover and inside the guide are courtesy of Unforgettable Moments. For more information on Score Media, go to Scoreatl.com or call 404-246-7819.

Finally, I would like to thank our corporate sponsors who make it possible to put on these championships. Their advertisements can be seen throughout this guide and I encourage you to support them whenever possible. The GHSA wants to thank these exemplary companies for their involvement, we appreciate their support.

Thank you for your support and I know you are going to enjoy the best high school bass fishing anywhere!

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MAY 20, 2023 @ CLARKS HILL LAKE

GHSA BASS FISHING TO CELEBRATE THIRD STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AT CLARKS HILL LAKE

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL .COM

T

he GHSA successfully introduced Bass Fishing as a sanctioned sport for the first time in 2021 and now qualifiers from across the state will ascend on Georgia’s largest body of water—Clarks Hill Lake in Augusta—to compete for the 2023 state title this Saturday. The third annual Bass Fishing State Championship follows a season that featured four qualifying tournaments. This statewide-circuit began at Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga. on Jan. 21 and then continued to Lake Oconee (Feb. 18), West Point Lake (March 18) and Lake Hartwell (April 15). Hundreds of registered student anglers competed in the four qualifiers and the duo of Hayden Reynolds and Caleb Logue opened the season with a top-finish of 21-06 pounds at Lake Seminole. Reynolds and Caleb Lougue compete for the Bainbridge Bearcats—who saw Bowynn Brown and Shane Dill take last year’s state championship with a 16-12 mark. There were 30 state qualifiers out of the 252 registered teams at Lake Seminole.

TOP QUALIFIERS Lake Seminole saw 255 registered teams and Savannah Christian’s Matthew Gunn and Luke Gunn were the top state qualifiers with a 15-13 catch. Alexander’s Trent Hammock and Cart-

er Seabrook qualified with a 13-9 catch and are returning to state after placing third last year. Matthew and Luke took first place again on March 18 at West Point with a 12-5 catch.

Boats advance to state from the first event in which they qualified and since the Gunns already qualified, the next eligible boat qualified. As a result, 29 teams qualified out of 241 registered teams at West Point. \

PAST CHAMPIONS 2021 EVANS 2022 BAINBRIDGE

The fourth and final GHSA qualifier saw 28 teams eclipse 10 pounds—the most out of any of this year’s qualifiers. South Forsyth had five teams finish in the top 12 and also tallied the top two qualifying tallies. Reese Mutter and Charles Roberts tallied a 19-14 catch for first place and their War Eagles’ teammates Michael Avery and Fisher Edwards came in

second with a 19-9. The next closest qualifier was Lanier’s Bryson Dover and Angel Cornejo’s 15-6.

ON THE LINE This will be the second time that Clarks Hill Lake is hosting a GHSA bass fishing competition and the state’s best anglers will be vying for the ultimate prize as the sport continues its growth and popularity in its third year. Since the sport was introduced, the highest recorded catch was 25.15 pounds by Bainbridge’s Bowynn Brown and Shane Dill in 2021. That historic catch came in the Lake Seminole category. Jayden Faulkner and Davis Madden represented Evans High School in 2021 when they won the first-ever state title with a 20-03 catch. As previously stated, last year’s championship-winning catch was 16-12 by Bainrbidge’s Brown and Dill. This year has seen Bainbridge’s Reynolds and Logue (2106) have the top score and Richmond Hill’s Branton Champion and Jackson Behringer tallying the second-best mark from the qualifiers.

There were only two other schools to eclipse the 19-pound mark, two more teams that eclipsed the 17-pound mark and three more teams that hit the 15-pound mark.

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2023 GHSA BASS FISHING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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MAY 20, 2023 @ CLARKS HILL LAKE \

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STAT E Q U A L I F I E R S

SCHOOL Alexander Appling County Bainbridge Bainbridge Bainbridge Callaway Colquitt County East Paulding Fellowship Christian Forsyth Central Jackson Jefferson Lanier Lee County Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Miller County Morgan County Perry Pike County Richmond Hill South Forsyth South Forsyth South Forsyth Swainsboro Thomas County Central Tift County Washington County Washington County

ANGLER Leila Gragg Taylor Fanin Hayden Reynolds Brock Lewis Brennan Enfinger Dawson Foster Jacob Brightwell Mason Tarply Holden McClung Calvin Sticher Gage Greene Jacob Janning Bryson Dover Coleman Williams Jack Dowdy Fisher Ruff Evan Hanks Brody Kelly Nolan Holloway Mason Hilgendorf Alan Smith Branton Champion Cate Cuccinello Michael Avery Finley Edwards Garrett Peebles Lawson White Cole McDaniel Ella Baucom Maxwell Evans

ANGLER Peirce Gragg Tucker Mincy Caleb Logue Gages Sellars Corbyn Thompson Billy Boseman Harden Roberts Nikalas Shaw Robert Wade Toby Pritzlaff Carson Lamb Ben Wilson Angel Conejo Dakota King Wyatt Galbraith Kyle Lynn Warren Garland Cooper Williams Jackson Fanning Mason Engle Jackson Fletcher Jackson Behringer Everett Barlag Fisher Edwards Jackson Letsch Bo Brown Ethan Luke Logan Cargle Jack Taylor Nicholas Brantley

WEST POINT LAKE

SCHOOL Alexander Alexander Bacon County Brantley County Buford Callaway Coffee Columbus East Coweta Elbert Jackson Jackson King’s Ridge Lambert Locust Grove Newnan Northgate Ola Peach County Perry Richmond Hill South Forsyth Swainsboro Temple Tift County Trinity Christian Veterans Webster County Wheeler County

ANGLER Preston Agan Ayden Bryant Liam Whitley Hunter Johns Hudson Hyatt Drake Bishop Seth Jordan Josh Odom Aubrie Braddy Bradley Vaughn Brayden Smith Carson Smith Jackson Thomas Dylan Johnson George Wilson Logan Rethmel James Dubose Colby Aldridge Naomi Horsley Tyler Williams Savannah Goode Benjamin Clark Mitchell Roberson Cameron Bolden Walton Slaven Carter Jones Trent Mazo Kalix Holmens Cohen Cravey

ANGLER Zachary Agan Caleb Blanks Haylee Giddens Mathew Carter Jackson Ellis Kaleb Garrett Wesley Daniels Jacob Albright Jaxen Watson Adrian Harris Corbin Presley Gavin Bell Cole Bradley Patrick Coppinger Brandon Rice Connor Rethmel Daylom Milam Keigen Sena Hunter Fuller Jack Aydelott Carson Goode Dylan Reid Jacob Fagler Brian Singley Caleb May Cooper Bell Chance Fowler Nikearrian Walker Rhett Rodgers

LAKE OCONEE SCHOOL Alexander Appling County Appling County Bacon County Brantley County Clarke Central Colquitt County Fellowship Forsyth Central Heard County Houston County Lakeside Locust Grove North Paulding Ola Ola Perry Perry Richmond Hill Savannah Christian South Forsyth Temple Temple Temple Toombs County Trion Union Grove Veterans Ware County Ware County

ANGLER Trent Hammock Mara Anderson Drew Caylor Mason Boatright Benjamin Carter Bo Brodrick Jake Wilkes Greyson Brock Camden Spencer Colton Bates Ben Brill Reed Williams Caleb Cromer Mitchell Lewis Hayden Currul Lee Cole Graham Nick Daniel Connor Law Jagger Monaco Matthew Gunn Grady Williamson Chad Seagraves Gage Riddle Rylan Daniell Neal Braddy Rayne Melton Leah Jarrett Ronnie Weigle Austin Pierce Dawson Peavy

ANGLER Carter Seabrook Josie Gunter Tucker Mcmillan Lane Kinlaw Carter Steed Luke Garofalo Joseph Jackson Liam Gibson Gage Stewart Kaci Bates Brandt Singleton William Scherer Jacob Sims Ben Graves Skylar Spence Hollis Carter Kaleb Payne Nolan Osborne Joey Moore Luke Gunn Maddox Ferrell Kade Brown Justin Singley Beau Beckjorden Hunter Hitchcock Ethan Willingham Madison Mayo Dillon Mcintosh Will Griffin Tyler Spradley

LAKE HARTWELL SCHOOL Appling County Brantley County Brantley County Buford Buford Central Colquitt County Dawson County East Forsyth East Paulding Effingham County Houston County Jeff Davis Lanier North Forsyth North Forsyth North Gate North Oconee Oconee County Pickens South Forsyth Thomas Thomson Toobs County Veterans Ware County West Forsyth

ANGLER Fisher Carver Tyler Brock Saybree Niece Gwendolyn Bruce Connon Thomas Levi Irby Andrew Stanford Madison Hawkins Allison Dykes Ayden Slick Zachary Ambrose Carter Gray Tucker Rigdon Benjamin Claypole Nathan Ruis Adams Cash Carter Robison Micheal Drummond Churchill Harris Zeke Cronic Reese Mutter Evan Holbrook Connon Thomas Levy Martin Jacob Winnett Grant Geiger Katy Grace Pendley

ANGLER Jack Reeves Weston Middleton Waylon Thomas Garrett Crocker Yun Sitton Colton Huber Haydyn Glass Cara Perry Sophia Lee Aiden Prusan Jace Hinely Ashton Foiles Dylan Dennis Gibson Rietig Evan Bann Andrew Worley Mason Doonan Bode Massie Campbell Patterson Elijah Rittenberry Charles Roberts Holden Wright Carson Ansley Drew Woodruff Jackson Lathrop Colt Cox Grayson Pendley

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