Haughton High Wins Louisiana Open
Nesbit, Bowman advance to 2018 High School Fishing National Championship
The Haughton High School duo of Matthew Nesbit and Tripp Bowman, both of Haughton, Louisiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 13 pounds, 7 ounces to win the 2017 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Louisiana Open tournament on the Ouachita River. The win advanced the team to the 2018 High School Fishing National championship, held June 26-30 on a fishery yet to be revealed.
According to post-tournament reports, the Haughton High duo caught their fish targeting laydowns with a Junebug-colored Zoom Trick Worm, fished slowly on a shaky-head rig, near an area 15 minutes south of the takeoff ramp.
A field of 29 teams competed in the no-entry fee, tournament which launched from Forsythe Park in Monroe. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top two teams on the Ouachita River that advanced to the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship:
1st: Haughton High School, Haughton, La. – Matthew Nesbit and Tripp Bowman, both of Haughton, La., five bass, 13-7
2nd: Bossier High School, Bossier City, La. – Bennett Hopkins and Tyler Hilton, both of Bossier City, La., five bass, 10-2
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
3rd: Parkway High School, Bossier City, La. – Taylor Williams and Nick Cannon, both of Bossier City, La., five bass, 10-1
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
4th: Smackover High School, Smackover, Ark. – Trenton Bailey, Stephens, Ark., and Joel Brewer, El Dorado, Ark., four bass, 9-10
5th: Sterlington High School, Sterlington, La. – Noah Sistrunk, Sterlington, La., and Landon Jinks, Monroe, La., five Bass, 9-5
6th: Claiborne Academy, Haynesville, La. – Gage Burnham, Haynesville, La., and Cade Hanson, Shongaloo, La., five bass, 9-3
7th: Calvary Baptist Academy, Shreveport, La. – Jackson Gregory, Shreveport, La., and John Kyle Pearce, Frierson, La., five bass, 7-15
8th: West Monroe High School, West Monroe, La. – Kade Smith, Calhoun, La., and Chandler Kennedy, West Monroe, La., five bass, 7-10
9th: Alexandria Senior High School, Alexandria, La. – Read Areingdale and Graham Pearson, both of
Alexandria, La., five bass, 7-1
10th: Oak Hill High School, Elmer, La. – Colby Miller, Kelseyville, La., and Cole Moore, Anacoco, La., five bass, 6-14
Complete results from the event and photos of the top five teams can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2017 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Louisiana Open was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2018 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2017 World Finals more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.