On Saturday, Sept. 7, the Benton County Anglers fishing team traveled to Pickwick State Park in Hardin County for the first fishing tournament of the 2019 fall season. The Tennessee Bass Nation – West Division contest included 116 high school teams and 22 junior high teams in the competition.
Benton County sent five high school and four junior high teams to the tournament. Each team consists of two anglers and a non-fishing boat captain. The captain must be 18 years of age or more.
Among all high school teams, the team of Hunter Sparks and Ryan Baker placed highest for the Benton County Anglers, finishing 11th with three fish caught for a total weight of 10.23 lbs. The Camden high school teams of Weston Bivens and Matthew Lambdin placed 19th with four fish weighing 7.77 lbs., Karson Goodwin and Clayton Sneed placed 24th with three fish weighing 6.12 lbs., and Cody Bolin and Mikey Rushing placed 63rd with one fish weighing 2.08 lbs. The team of Josh Hughes and Zackery Thornton also participated, but did not catch any fish.
Among junior competitors, the team of Drew Hardin and Alex Townsend finished 6th in the contest with one fish weighing 2.06 lbs. Peyton Perry and Allen Corbitt placed 11th among junior high teams, catching one fish weighing 1.54 lbs. The junior high teams of Hayden Jennette and Talon Stone, and Trey Dooley and Jack Farmer also fished for the Benton County Anglers, but did not have any luck on the water Saturday.
The next Bass Nation tournament will be held at Perryville Marina in Parsons on Oct. 19, before the teams fish at Paris Landing on Nov. 9 to wrap up the fall season. In the spring, anglers return to Pickwick on March 14, before hosting a Bass Nation tournament at Eva Beach on April 4. The regular spring season will conclude back at Pickwick on April 24.
In other Benton County Angler news, the fishing team spent their Labor Day holiday showing appreciation by donating barbecued Boston butts to several deserving groups in Benton County. The meat, cooked by Gary Greer at Apex Bank, was delivered to Good Samaritan Village, Camden General Hospital, and the Medical Center EMS ambulance service.
Anyone wanting to support the fishing team may do so by ordering a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving. Don’t miss out on a chance to get some great food and help these great kids. To place an order, call Chrissy Townsend at 731-431-8924 or Shannon Stone at 731-441-0116.
