The Chiles High bass fishing team reeled in its first Florida Elite Anglers State Championship last weekend on Lake Seminole, capping off a dominant season and earning a trip to next month’s national tournament in Kentucky.
Led by anglers Brody Beam and Connor Crawford, Chiles claimed the top spot in the two-day state event as the duo hauled in 43.85 pounds of bass to win gold. The pair also earned a $1,000 cash prize and championship hardware.
Hunter Harris and Jackson Edenfield added to the Timberwolves’ strong finish by placing second and earning $500.
The title marks a milestone for the Chiles program, which had previously finished runner-up in past seasons but had never captured a state championship in its 12-year history.
“This has been building for a long time,” head coach James Marschka told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Most of our teams have fished every tournament every month for the last eight months, and they’ve done very successfully.”
The club sport features 20 anglers, with eight Chiles competitors qualifying for the state tournament.
The team now shifts its focus to the Annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship, scheduled for June 23-27 at Lake Cumberland in Russell Springs, Kentucky. Marschka said success at the national level will depend on preparation, research and experience on the water.
“They’ve got to study the lake patterns, get some practice fishing in and hope all the preparation pays off on tournament days,” Marschka said.
The national tournament also serves as a showcase for high school anglers hoping to continue their careers in college programs that offer fishing scholarships.
Crawford, a four-time national qualifier from Wakulla, plans to continue his fishing career at Carson-Newman University.
“We’ve had kids in the past go on to fish in college and earn scholarships,” Marschka said. “Qualifying is tough enough, and if you place high, you can get college scouts looking at you and try to join their teams.”
After finally breaking through at the state level, Chiles now hopes its biggest catch of the season is still ahead.
Overall Results
Brody Beam / Connor Crawford – 43.85 lbs
Hunter Harris / Jackson Edenfield – 37.24 lbs
Camp Gunter / Jobe Sperling – 33.33 lbs
Kaden Walsh / Walker Bulloch – 26.97 lbs
Jackson Crawford / Bo Pearson – 24.78 lbs
Trason Finklea / Preston Sweitzer – 17.24 lbs
Brackin Webb / Eli Getman – 16.48 lbs
Slate Fletcher / Dustin Coulter – 11.13 lbs
Day 2 Results
Brody Beam / Connor Crawford – 20.95 lbs
Hunter Harris / Jackson Edenfield – 20.01 lbs
Camp Gunter / Jobe Sperling – 16.71 lbs
Trason Finklea / Preston Sweitzer – 14.77 lbs
Kaden Walsh / Walker Bulloch – 14.67 lbs
Brackin Webb / Eli Getman – 12.20 lbs
Jackson Crawford / Bo Pearson – 11.38 lbs
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics and Big Bend Preps for the Tallahassee Democrat. If you like to pitch a story on a high school athlete, don’t hesitate to get in touch with him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.1`
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Chiles bass fishermen hook state championship, eye nationals
Reporting by Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
