p
NEWS &
NOTES
SOUTHEAST TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL CIRCUIT DRAWS MORE
THAN 1,000 PARTICIPANTS FOR BACK-TO-BACK EVENTS
erhaps nowhere in the country
has the growth of organized
high school bass fishing been
better realized than in Texas, where
the Southeast Texas (SETX) High
School Fishing Association is leading
the way with mammoth tournament
participation.
At its opening events on Sam
Rayburn Reservoir Jan. 15 and Feb. 4,
the organization’s 2017 Championship
Series drew 517 and 515 two-student
teams, respectively. An adult boat cap-
tain accompanied each team.
Jared Goebel and Bryce Roder of
Lumberton High School won the open-
er with 18.79 pounds. Evadale High
School’s Kyler Kirkland and Ashton
Granger nearly matched that mark at
the February derby with 18.73 pounds.
To accommodate the growth in
interest, SETX recently rolled out a new
weigh-in trailer and is fabricating a new
live release trailer. The upgrades will
help the organization better service its
tournaments and protect the resource.
Additionally, a “conservation tent” con-
cept was adopted to protect fish
caught during warm-weather events.
“We are always looking for better
ways to minimize our impact on the
lake,” says SETX Vice President Tom
Selman. “We get a lot of small
stringers crossing the stage, and those
kids rarely, if ever, have the chance to
crack the top 50 and get a check. With
the conservation program, kids now
have a choice to photograph their fish
on the water, release them immedi-
ately, and save themselves and the
fish a long trip through the weigh-in
line. Once back, the kids simply pres-
ent their photo at the conservation
tent, where they will then receive a
ticket for a drawing worth $500. It’s a
win-win for everyone, and we hope
our kids and captains will utilize this
resource.”
Above: Jared Goebel (left) and Bryce Roder (right),
with boat captain John Goebel, won the SETX opener.
Below: Kyler Kirkland and Ashton Granger won the
second event.
NE W J - B RAI D x 4
®
BR AIDE D F ISH I NG L INE
N x4 J-BRAID ISLAND BL UE
NEW
NE W J-BRAID x 4 W I T H 4 I NT
N E R - W O V EN S TRANDS
Str ong and tough a br asi ion-r esistant technology .
Ideal f or structur e fishing g. T h i n d e s i g n f o r o f f s h o r e
applic ations.
N x4 J-BRA ID YELL O W
NEW
N x4 J-BRAID D ARK GREEN
NEW
ORIGIN A L x 8 BR A ID
x 8 WITH 8 INTER - W O VEN S TRANDS
Ex c eptional c asting
perf ormanc e. S m o o t h
and soft br aid runs
silent thr ough the
guides — Ideal f o r
spinning r eels.
8
NEW x8 J-BRAID WHITE x8 J-BRAID D AR
RK GREEN
x8 J-BRAID MUL LTI-COL
TI-COL OR x8 J-BRAID CHA
AR TREUSE
ww
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FLWFISHING.COM I aprIL 2017