Louisiana Youth Bass Nation Qualifier
Toledo Bend Reservoir
February 5th 2022
Practice day, February 4th, on Toledo Bend greeted 160 high school teams and around 30 Jr Bassmasters with frigid temps, sleet, and even snow. Saturday teams woke up to a 24-degree temperature and brisk wind gusts.
State youth director Tommy Abbott made a last-minute call to allow teams to trailer to launches on the Louisiana side of the lake to avoid potential rough navigation on a lake known for rough conditions.
The Bossier Parish High School Fishing team of Jase White and Tanner Williams launched at Cypress Bend and braved a rough and very cold 30–40-minute boat run to their starting location.
After their morning prayer, they made their first cast on their starting location which was a secondary point that has a good transition location between deep water and spawning flats. Their spot was about 12’ deep with a gradual slope down to about 18’ deep. On the slope of the point, there were several brush tops and stumps that fish were relating to.
Jase was using the live sonar to find the targets on this point to line up where they needed to make their cast. The duo fished the first 10-15 minutes without a bite working slow moving baits but weren’t seeing many fish moving around the cover on the live sonar.
Jase decided to pick up a crankbait and fired it out to bring it back over a brush top sitting in about 14’ of water and on the 2nd cast, he controlled his retrieve while watching it on live sonar reeled it down to where it would come across just above the top. He watched as the fish zoom out of the cover to hammer his crankbait. After a short fight their first fish was in the live well that weighed 3.10 lbs.
About 3 to 4 more cast later Jase saw another good fish streak out of the top and inhale his crankbait. He quickly got it to the boat and heir 2nd fish weighed in at 3.30 lbs.
They worked the same area and at about 7:15 am, Jase was cranking over a stump that was about 2’ tall off the bottom. When he reached the stump, with his eyes focused on his live sonar and he saw a huge ball fire off the bottom and knew he was hooked up. He quickly realized that he had a much better fish on as it started pulling drag. He got the fish to boat where it made a couple jumps before Tanner was able to get her in the net. Once that fish was in the boat, they quickly put it on their scale, and it weighed in at 6.52lbs. At 7:20 am they had 3 fish in the live well for about 13lbs.
About 6 casts later the duo hooked #4 that weighed 3.38 lbs. Despite the frigid cold, not a single person in their boat was thinking of anything but the warmth that catching those four fish brought.
These two felt the pressure mount as they realized that they only needed one more fish to fill their limit. They fished around the point for another 15-20 minutes before they saw a fish swimming around the bottom off a brush top with the live sonar and watched the fish come grab the crankbait. Their 5th fish was in the boat that weighed in at 2.71 lbs. and at 8:40 am and they had filled their 5 fish limit with around 19 lbs.
They were both grinning from ear to ear and Tanner even stated this was the best day of his life because he never been in tournament where he they had a bag of fish like that. Tanner worked his crankbait across another top when Jase saw the fish following the bait on sonar. He hooked up and Jase netted the fish. That’s when they realized that it was basically the same weight of their last fish and wouldn’t help.
At around 9:30-10:00 the fish quit eating crankbaits and they were just watching them follow them up and turn around and retreat to cover. At around 11:00 am the duo decided that they wanted to go fish another nearby secondary point. Jase was working the live sonar and found another good brush top and they made a couple cast with crankbaits across the brush pile when he noticed there were some fish on it because he watched two swim out and turn around and swim back in.
They cast a football jig to the top when on the first cast Jase felt that undeniable thump and his line went slack. He reeled down and set the hook and within seconds he said, “it a big one, get the net”. Tanner was scrambling for the net and was ready for action by the time Jase got the fish to the boat, it made one big jump and then another run at the boat before Jase brought him toward Tanner to net.
It was after this fish was in the boat that they knew they had done something very special and busted that 20+ lb. bag and the high fives, hugs, and celebration began. They didn’t know if their weight would be enough because Toledo Bend can produce big bags, but regardless if they won or not, it was an awesome day.
At noon so they stopped fishing for 15-20 minutes to eat, some lunch and reminisce on the morning that they had, then jumped up, started fishing, and said let see if we can cull up to a 25 lb. bag.
They fished the next 3 hours and caught 2 additional fish both weighing between 2.5 – 3.0 lbs. but were no help to allow them to cull a fish. They decided not to take any chances with the bag in their live well left their area early to weigh in.
Those two young men and their captain had a day that they will all remember forever. Their captain Brandon White said, “I didn’t get to catch any of these fish or contribute in any way, but I must say the time I get to spend with these kid practicing and in the event is very special to me and I’m a very proud coach, boat captain and father.”
All our captains can relate because it’s a true blessing to get to participate in this sport with family and friends.
These young men and their captain finished the day with a 21.42 pound, five fish limit that was anchored by a 6.52-pound lunker bass.
In second place was the Teurlings Catholic High team of Brett Garber and Joseph Cramer. They finished the day with a beautiful five fish limit of 13.97 pounds.
In third place was Brayden Landry and Branson Word with Erath High School fishing. They had five fish going 12.91 pounds.
Carsen Adcock and Riley Pitman with Bossier Parish HS Fishing Team took 4th and managed five bass that went 12.83 pounds.
Rounding out the top 5 was the Sam Houston High team of Doug Davenport and Coby Bertrand. They brought 5 fish to the scales for 12.77 pounds and had a 3.21-pound kicker.
Big bass on the day went 7.70 pounds and was caught by North Vermillion HS angler Max Deroche.
The team/ club award went to Bossier Parish High School Fishing Team.
