ROGERS, Ark. (April 18, 2016) – Georgia’s Evans High School duo of Tyler Matthews and Blake Stephenson brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces to win the 2016 TBF/FLW High School Fishing National Championship tournament on Table Rock Lake. The win earned the team trophies, the title of national champions and a $10,000 scholarship to their college of choice.
Twelve teams competed in the two-day event, which launched from Kimberling City in Missouri. The Evans High School duo’s two-day total of nine bass totaling 27-1 gave them a narrow 1-pound, 11-ounce edge over Arkansas’ Chase Meyers of Cabot, and Cole Swede of Little Rock, who represent the Anvil Jaw Bass Club.
Matthews and Stephenson reported catching their entire limit both days using shaky heads rigged with green pumpkin craw imitators.
“I used a Buckeye Lures Sled rigged with a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw the entire tournament,” Matthews said. “Nothing else I threw would catch the bigger fish.”
Stephenson utilized the same Speed Craw in green pumpkin but opted for a different jighead.
“When I fish a shaky head, the only one I use is a Green Fish Tackle Creeper Head,” he said.
Matthews competed in his final event as a high school angler. He qualified last year for this event prior to graduating in June from Clarks High School in Evans, Ga. Matthews is making plans to attend college in the fall of 2016 but has yet to decide on a school. When not working, he spends his free time pursuing his passion for fishing. Stephenson will complete eighth grade this year in Evans. When he finds free time from his studies, he enjoys being outdoors and fishing.
The top five teams on Table Rock Lake finished:
1st: Evans High School, Evans, Ga. – Tyler Matthews and Blake Stephenson, nine bass, 27-1, $10,000 Scholarship
2nd: Arkansas Anvil Jaw Bass Club – Chase Myers, Cabot, Ark., and Cole Swede, Little Rock, Ark., 10 bass, 25-6
3rd: Alabama Student Angler Federation. – Zeke Gossett, Pell City HS, and Ryan Shields, Hazelgreen HS, nine bass, 19-14
4th: Colerain High School, Cincinnati, Ohio – Daniel Hechler and Cole Wessner, eight bass, 19-7
5th: Abbeville High School, Abbeville, S.C. – Daelyn Whaley and Carter McNeil, five bass, 13-14