PELL CITY, Ala. (April 24, 2017) – The Oneonta High School duo of Laine Cooley of Oneonta, Alabama, and Noah Coleman of Pinson, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 12 pounds even to win the 2017 FLW High School Fishing Alabama Open tournament on Logan Martin Lake. The win advanced the team to the 2017 High School Fishing National championship, held June 27-July 1 at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.
According to post-tournament reports, the duo caught their fish targeting docks and ledge points with a shaky-head rig.
A field of 30 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Lakeside Park in Pell City, Alabama. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top three teams on Logan Martin Lake that advanced to the 2017 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Oneonta High School, Oneonta, Ala. – Laine Cooley, Oneonta, Ala., and Noah Coleman, Pinson, Ala., (five bass, 12-0)
2nd: Indian Springs School, Pelham, Ala. – Jacob Drake, Odenville, Ala., (five bass, 11-1)
3rd: Sand Rock High School, Sand Rock, Ala. – Ethan Clanton and Seth Justice, both of Collinsville, Ala., (five bass, 10-11)
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
4th: Sand Rock High School, Sand Rock, Ala. – Brody Robison, Collinsville, Ala., and Grant Robison, Fort Payne, Ala., (five bass, 10-8)
5th: Sand Rock High School, Sand Rock, Ala. – Levi Cox, Gaylesville, Ala., and Colton Cash, Leesburg, Ala., (five bass, 10-3)
6th: Oneonta High School, Oneonta, Ala. – Drake Williams and Cole Farmer, both of Oneonta, Ala., (five bass, 10-2)
7th: MGA Fishing Club, Macon, Ga. – Carson Green and Ben Kennedy, both of Macon, Georgia, (five bass, 10-0)
8th: Harris County High School, Hamilton, Ga. – Mason Waddell, Waverly Hall, Ga., and Cal Culpepper, Hamilton, Ga., (five bass, 9-4)
9th: Moody High School, Moody, Ala. – Nathan Phillips and Colton Tims, both of Cropwell, Ala., (five bass, 8-15)
10th: Hueytown High School, Hueytown, Ala. – Micah Morefield and Carson Walker, both of Bessemer, Ala., (five bass, 8-4)