BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — One hundred young anglers will show their on-the-water skills when the fourth Bassmaster High School Combine returns to Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., Sept. 13-15. The weekend will feature skills challenges and recruiting visits to 25 potential colleges in hopes of reeling in scholarship money.
“B.A.S.S. is constantly looking for ways to grow the High School and College platforms and give young anglers opportunities to excel not only in the sport, but also in the industry,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. Nation tournament manager – College, High School and Junior. “This is becoming a very popular event to attend for student anglers. The opportunity for these student anglers and their families to be under one roof for three days with some of the best colleges in the country offering scholarships in some form or fashion is awesome.
“These past three Bassmaster High School Combines have been a great success, and we’re looking forward to growing this experience for both these high school anglers and the coaches who attend,” Cale added. “This has truly become the preeminent event for colleges looking to find and recruit talent from across the country.”
Only schools offering bass fishing scholarships are invited to the High School Combine, and coaches from 25 colleges have already expressed interest in attending. The experience offers young anglers and college coaches a chance to leverage rare face time into finding the best fit for students ready to further both their education and their fishing at the next level.
Anglers ers will perform multiple tasks to showcase their skills not only on the water, but also display their knowledge of the sport as a whole. Each of the disciplines will operate on a point system and will be timed by an official judge. Each angler will accumulate points to determine an overall winner. After the first day, colleges will have the opportunity to select anglers for a “second look” where they can further explore everything that angler has to offer and see if they would be a fit for their fishing program.
Registration will open at 9 a.m. CT on May 7 at Bassmaster.com/high-school and remain open until 100 participants have registered. The $650 registration fee includes accommodations for two nights and four meals.
