Lenoir City High School Fishing Team Hooks Second in Southern Open

While most people of the world are celebrating Valentine’s day with their loved ones, fellow peers from our high school competed in a competition out of state, and dominated.  Lenoir City High School’s newest team has done an exceptional job at their very first tournament.  The team placed second overall in the Coasta sponsored Bassmaster High School tournament held this weekend at Lake Martin in Alexander City, Alabama.  The two lucky fellow LC’eans are sophomores Justin Selvidge and Bailey Fane.  Both of the amateur fisherman had a great day on the lake with Bailey’s father, Randy Fane, who helped guide them to victory in the Southern Open.  Though both boys fish often, only Bailey has had past experience in a competition of this level, when he competed back in the summer.

Winning second in this competition means that they will go on to Nationals in the near future alongfuture; along with the advancement to Nationals, they also are eligible for a large cash prize, scholarships, and various other goodies because of their qualification in the top 20– not to mention, since Coasta is the new sponsor for the Bassmaster tournament, all of the anglers were showered with Coasta merch and some other free nic-nacs.  The total weight for the weigh-in was an impressive 14.1 lbs for 5 fish; this weight barely missed the 14.4 lb first place holders.

This is an impressive win for LCHS, not only because it is our first tournament, but because there were 440 other competitors from all around the South.  In total, there were over 199 boats out on the Lake Martin on early Valentine’s Day morning.  It was a very cold morning, but the anglers persisted.  The fishermen, and a slight number of fisher-women, started fishing at six thirty in the morning and kept it flowing until three thirty when the fishing ceased; and through all of that time, they got only 15 minutes for a mandatory break.  But after a hard days work fishing, it paid off immensely for Justin and Bailey.

We wish them the best of luck in nationals later on this year!  These sophomores are making  name for LCHS in the world of fishing.  For more information and to see pictures from the tournament, click the link below!