Over the weekend, the Brossart bass fishing team competed in the KHSAA Regional fishing tournament at Lake Cumberland. A total of 156 boats took part, with the top 37 advancing to the KHSAA State Tournament in May. Anglers had the opportunity to pre-fish on Friday and caught many fish before a storm hit shortly after lunch. On Saturday, teams were up early, arriving at the boat ramp by 6 am. The weather was partly cloudy with a high near 80 degrees. Fishing was tougher on Saturday compared to Friday, but all teams managed to catch fish. Carson Schultz and Lincoln Schabell finished 17th with a 5 fish limit weighing 10 lbs even, becoming the first Brossart bass team to earn the privilege of advancing to the KHSAA State Tournament. Wyatt Morre and Carter Vogel finished 63rd with 3 fish weighing 4 lbs 2 oz, while Reed Golden and Levi Snowball weighed in 1 fish weighing 2 lbs. John Prather and Collin Parks caught multiple fish, but they were all just shy of the minimum keeper size. The boats were captained by Doug Lackey, Brian Golden, Dan Bertram, and Andy Schabell. Special thanks to Spencer Hackworth for helping out on Friday. This tournament also marked the debut of the new Brossart Bass Team jerseys, which received many compliments from students and spectators. Congratulations anglers, and thanks to the many sponsors who made this trip possible.
EDITORIAL ADDENDUM…….
While I would not go back and change places with these guys for anything in the world, I am a bit jealous of the opportunities that are afforded them these days. I was an avid fisherman at their age, but since my dad didn’t fish, my opportunities were the once or twice a summer that my uncles (Earl and Bruce) would include me with their family outing “fishing ventures” or wherever my bike would take me to local farm ponds.
I did not go on a “Major” fishing trip, until John Kramer included me in a trip to Drummond Island, Michigan with he and his family when I was when I was over 30 years and coaching basketball at Sts. Peter and Paul. I continued to make those Drummond trips until 1991 when the tourists overran the place and chased me to Canada, where I discovered the Blue Heron in Spanish, Ontario in 1991. I have continued to make that trip, missing only 2012 when we did a fly-in, and the Covid year of 2020 and 2021.
These guys have the luxury of a high school bass fishing team. I would have eaten that up. We only had baseball and basketball back in the early sixties, which I didn’t play because I wasn’t very good at hoops and didn’t play high school baseball because our family only owned one car, and dad drove it to work and back everyday, which relegated me to riding a school bus. I never fished out of a bass boat until I started fishing with Larry Schreiber later in life, have still never fished Dale Hollow, and I rented a boat in my early days at Cumberland, before they stocked Stripers.
My second nephew, Lincoln Schabell (Eric’s Boy), who has inherited the fishing gene, fishes on the Brossart team, and will be making his second trip to Canada this summer, at the ripe old age of 14. To this day, by choice, I have never fished in a Bass fishing tournament. I accept them because they are here to stay, but don’t see how they are good for the fishery. Besides I choose to fish on my own terms.
I am happy for these guys to have these opportunities, and thank guys like Doug Lackey, Brian Golden, my nephew, Andy, the Mayor, and all of those who make these experiences possible for our guys.
Tight Lines!!!
DS