TBF
WHAT’S MAKING NEWS IN THE BASS FEDERATION
by Dan Johnson
I
PORTER, JENNINGS WIN 2016 HIGH SCHOOL FISHING WORLD FINALS
114
n one of the most exciting finishes in
High School Fishing World Finals his-
tory, Peyton Porter and Coleton
Jennings came from behind to win the
most coveted crown in all of High School
Fishing.
Porter and Jennings, representing
Calloway and Marshall county high
schools in western Kentucky, respective-
ly, dedicated their quest for a title to for-
mer teammate Dalton Cooksey, who
currently fishes the Walmart FLW Tour
and was injured in a car accident shortly
before the event.
“We made it our goal to go out and
win this for Dalton,” says Jennings. “He is
one of my best friends, and we are
thrilled we were able to get it done.”
Held June 29-July 2 on Pickwick Lake
out of Florence, Ala., the championship
was hosted by Florence/Lauderdale
Tourism and drew hundreds of partici-
pants from 22 states. It was open to all
students participating in the FLW/TBF
High School Fishing program and is the
largest open championship in the nation.
The entire field competed head-to-
head days one and two, after which the
top two teams from each state advanced
to square off in the semi-final round,
where weights were zeroed. All other
teams battled in a consolation round.
The top 10 teams from the semi-
finals and the next top 10 by weight –
drawn from both the semi-finals and
consolation round – moved forward to
day four, when weights were again
zeroed to give everyone a fresh start. In
addition, a special last-chance drawing
gave one lucky team a golden ticket to
the finals.
The stakes were high at the no-entry-
fee event, with thousands in scholarship
dollars and additional prizes on the line.
Bethel University in McKenzie, Tenn.,
Coleton Jennings and Peyton Porter caught an impressive 26-pound, 3-ounce limit on the final day of
the HSF World Finals to take home the 2016 title at Pickwick Lake.
offered a $48,000 four-year scholarship
to the members of the winning team.
Should the winners not be able to accept
Bethel’s offer, The Bass Federation
offered up to $8,000 in scholarships.
Plus, the event offered a long list of
additional prizes to help young anglers
along their journeys. Prizes included lap-
tops, tablets, gift cards and large-screen
TVs that would be the envy of any dorm
room.
Porter and Jennings qualified for the
final day by finishing second in the con-
solation round. They went out as boat
No. 12 and made a long run to the far
end of Pickwick Lake, where they threw a
variety of baits to amass an impressive
26-3 limit. After weighing their catch at
the McFarland Park stage, they nervous-
ly watched the remainder of the weigh-
in from the hot seat.
The overflow crowd grew silent as
the final team took the stage. Brothers
Cole and Cort Walker of Tennessee’s
Hardin County High School led the first
three days of the event and were
determined not to let the title slip away.
On day one, for example, they had set
the bar high with a 26-7 limit. Their day
four limit appeared equally impressive,
and indeed would easily top the 20-
pound mark. But when the scale settled
at 23-6, the Walker brothers finished
runner-up to Porter and Jennings.
The Top Five:
1. Peyton Porter and Coleton
Jennings, Calloway County High
School and Marshall County High
School (Ky.) – 26-03
2. Cole Walker and Cort Walker,
Hardin County High School (Tenn.) –
23-06
3. Luke Glasgow and Gavin Norris,
Marion County High School (Ala.) –
20-14
4. Wesley Holt and Colby Miller, Oak
Hill High School (La.) – 18-10
5. Isaac Duncan and Jack Kelly, North
Pike High School (Miss.) – 18-07
FLWFISHING.COM I OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2016