"It was so intense," Culley said after collecting his plaque and a $5,000 college scholarship in front of a partisan crowd at Charlotte Coliseum. "It was just timing and putting it down where it needs to go."
Culley outlasted Darrell Hague, 13, of Ohio. The pair was tied after the flip, pitch and cast portion of the event and was knotted again after the first overtime castoff.
In the age 7 to 10 group, Shauni Voisin, 9, of Ontario, Canada, outcast Hope Newkirk, 10, of Georgia.
"I felt happy," said an understated Voisin, who plans to use her scholarship money on her path toward becoming a veterinarian.
BASS National Youth Manager Stacy Twiggs explained to the audience before the finals that CastingKids introduces children to the outdoors and the fundamental fishing skills of flipping, pitching and casting.
CastingKids competitions are similar to the old NFL punt, pass, and kick events, except the challenge is to flip, pitch and cast. Scoring is based on a points system and the contest is won by the young angler who earns the most points by landing a hookless lure in labeled sections of a flat target wins.
State tournaments produced the CastingKids qualifiers, and the top five from each of the two age groups moved on the finals in Charlotte. A morning session Saturday produced the two finalists from each group.
The other finalists included, from the 7 to 10 age group, Josh Abernathy, 10, of Oregon, who finished third, Chase LaFlamme, 9, of Maine, fourth, and Adam Eubanks, 10, of Mississippi, fifth; and from the 11 to 14 age group, Briana Babauta, 13, of California, third, Chris Smreker, 14, of Kansas, fourth, and Cole Paradise, 14, of New York, fifth.