Nebraskaland Magazine
LINCOLN – Kylan Rhodes and Austin Denisse of Lincoln County won the 2014 Nebraska State High School Fishing Tournament on July 26 at Merritt Reservoir.
The Lincoln County team, coached by Heath Denisse, weighed in a five-fish limit totaling 15.24 pounds. Second place went to Andrew Flair and Ethan Mally of Millard, coached by Dik Haneline, who caught five bass weighing 13.81 pounds. Mally also caught the tournament’s biggest bass at 4.51 pounds. Trevor and Sam Thomsen of Lincoln, coached by Dave Thomsen, finished third with five bass weighing 13.60 pounds.
The top two teams advance to the Southern Regional Tournament on Oct. 19 on the Red River in Shreveport, La. The regional champion advances to nationals next spring.
Sixteen of the 24 competing teams brought 48 largemouth and two smallmouth bass totaling 132.25 pounds to the weigh-in station. Five of the teams caught five-fish limits.
The state tournament is a cooperative program between the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and The Bass Federation – Student Angler Federation (TBF-SAF). Two-person teams from grades 9 through 12 compete and are paired with a coach who provides a boat for competition.
