BY TERI R. WILLIAMS
PHOTOS BY RUTH ENGLISH
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magine your child rushing home from school excited to get outside to practice his or her school sport. “No, Mom, I don’t want to watch TV and load up on sugarfilled snacks while doing nothing. I’ve got to practice.” It’s a miracle. Your teenager is getting all the sunshine and fresh air he or she needs and taking time to de-stress and reflect in peace and quiet. Well, until that big fish hits the line. And then the excitement of reeling in the great mystical creature that has eluded generations of fishermen and fisherwomen brings out a holler. The result is a great sense of satisfaction and a good time for members of the fishing clubs at Toombs County High School (TCHS) and Vidalia High School (VHS). In the 2020-2021 school year, Georgia joined Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi to become the fifth state to sanction bass fishing as an official high school sport. The new sport collaborates with Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest fishing tournament association, and The Bass Federation (TBF) with official tournaments for the opportunity to qualify for a State Championship competition. When Joey Montford, TCHS AG teacher, held the school’s first informational meeting on the newly sanctioned sport, some seventy students showed up hoping to become anglers. There was plenty of interest in joining the school’s bass fishing angler club but not plenty of boats for fishing. According to GHSF (Georgia High School Fishing) rules, boats must meet certain specifications. For example, “All boats must be propeller-driven and a minimum of 16 feet in length” (ghsa.net). By the sign-up deadline, only two tenth-grade students, Hunter Hitchcock and Neal Braddy, turned in the paperwork and membership fees. Neal’s dad, Wesley Braddy, volunteered his boat and his time to serve as captain for tournaments. Coach David McLeod, science/ special education teacher and football coach at VHS, began their bass fishing program with four freshmen: Max Beverly, Noah Cummings, Luke Hollis, and Luke Lariscey. Local fisherman Ronnie Green allowed the team to use his boat and volunteered to serve as Boat Captain for tournaments. To begin, although an angler is a fisherman, a fisherman is not necessarily an angler. An angler is someone who fishes with a hook and line. A fisherman, on the other Toombs County High School's competitive fishing team includes Coach Joey Montford, Neal Braddy and Hunter Hitchcock. Neal's dad, Wesley, has served as a volunteer captain for tournaments. H O M E TO W N L I V I N G AT I T S B E S T
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