The Woodlands High School Bass Fishing Team had 10 boat teams fishing in the THSBA (Texas High School Bass Association) this season. Two teams made it to the THSBA Regional tournament Saturday, May 2, at Lake Conroe juniors, Robert Phelps and Sanders Pyles, and sophomores, Robert Acker and Ryan Seckt. Both of these teams advanced to compete for state at the end of May at Lake Texoma.
The Woodlands High School Bass Fishing Team was established in the fall of 2013, according to the Bass Fishing Booster Club website. It was originally for ninth-twelfth graders at The Woodlands High School, but now includes seventh and eighth graders from McCullough Junior High. High school students in the program can go to tournaments for onshore and offshore fishing, through the club’s affiliation with the Texas High School Bass Association (THSBA).
Reasons for joining the team vary from seeking peace to seeking competition. And you don’t need a boat to join.
“Most people think you need a boat, but you just need a captain sponsor for the off-shore tournaments” junior Robert Phelps explained.
The Bass fishing season starts in the beginning of the school year in late September and continues until the end of March; however if teams advance to regionals, it can go until the end of the year.
“We had a rough start at the beginning of the season, towards the end of the season, it got a lot better,” Ryan Seckt said.
Phelps and Pyles placed in the top 10 for the Bayou City Division this year and have qualified for the Angler of the Year tournament at the end of June.
At the fishing tournaments, there are around 120 kids who participate from other fishing teams around Texas. There are two different types of fishing tournaments you can compete in: onshore and offshore. When competing you must have a partner, and they will remain with you for the rest of the fishing season,
“Pick a partner you can talk to while you fish if you’re good at multitasking. You want to be out there with someone you can relate with,” Phelps said.
The Woodlands High School Bass Fishing team continues to become more popular each year, and they want to continue to expand the program. While fishing is an individual sport, a performance can benefit the team as a whole. When reflecting on goals for next year, Phelps hopes more students will get involved.
“The more people we have on the team helps benefit each other, because we have more weight at the tournaments,” Phelps said.
Seckt added that some schools have larger numbers of teams, more than 25. Like Phelps, he hopes the program will continue to grow.
“The more people interested, the more teams we can have. Then we can go farther, and win the state tournament.”
If you are interested in joining the team contact Mr.Burns at the main campus or check out their website www.twhsbft.com.
