LA CROSSE, Wis. (May 22, 2018) – The Waupaca Junior Bass Busters Club duo of Tyler Corey of Amherst, Wisconsin, and Casey Hoffman of New London, Wisconsin, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 11 ounces to win the 2018 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Mississippi River Open. The win advanced the team to the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship, held June 26-30, on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.
A field of 45 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from the West Copeland & Clinton Ramp in La Crosse. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top four teams on the Mississippi River that advanced to the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship were:
1st: Waupaca Junior Bass Busters Club – Tyler Corey, Amherst, Wis., and Casey Hoffman, New London, Wis., five-bass, 15-11
2nd: Lakeville High School, Lakeville, Minn. – Patrick McMurry and Ethan Vanden Busch, both of Lakeville, Minn., five bass, 13-4
3rd: Westby High School, Westby, Wis. – Chevy Knight and Grant Dayton, both of Westby, Wis., five bass, 13-4
4th: Prescott High School, Prescott, Wis. – Ashur Rouleau, La Crescent, Minn., and Ian Waters, Prescott, Wis., five bass, 13-2
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
5th: Lakeville High School, Lakeville, Minn. – Benjamin Anderson and Tyler Fitzner, both of Lakeville, Minn., five bass, 12-15
6th: Northeast Wisconsin Bass Club – Trace Yeager, Shawno, Wis., and., Reece Keeney, Hortonville, Wis., five bass, 12-4
7th: Northland Pines High School, Vilas County, Wis. – Sammy Spencer, Rhinelander, Wis., and Harmon Marien, Eagle River, Wis., five bass, 11-15
8th: Burlington Catholic Central High School, Burlington, Wis. – Jacob Bigelow, Cecil, Wis., and Bailey Bleser, Burlington, Wis., five bass, 11-12
9th: Sparta High School, Sparta, Wis. – Nick Gann and James Gann, both of Sparta, Wis., five bass, 11-10
10th: Coulee Region Bass Club – Brady McCoy, La Crosse, Wis., and Max Earley, Coon Valley, Wis., five bass, 11-9