Winder-Barrow High-School Fishing Team Places High In World Championship

The Winder-Barrow High School Bulldogs team of Dylan Thayer (left) and Brett Boswell finished in eighth place at the World Championship.

On June 21, 309 high-school bass fishing teams from all over the U.S. blasted off on the Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wisconsin to compete for $3.3 million dollars in scholarships. The National High School Fishing World Finals tournament was open to any high-school team wanting to enter, and there was no entry fee. Georgia teams represented our state well with several top finishes.

There were actually two tournaments going on at one time, the High School Fishing World Finals and the High School Fishing National Championship. All the teams fished for three days, but only 31 qualified for the fourth day and the World Finals. On the fourth day, the 31 qualifying teams started from zero for final standings to compete for the World Finals title.

Four Georgia teams qualified to fish the World Finals event. The highest-placing Georgia team was representing the Winder-Barrow High School Bulldogs. Brett Boswell and Dylan Thayer finished eighth with three bass weighing 9-lbs., 3-ozs. The first-place team had 10-lbs., 9-ozs., so they were close to winning!

Brett and Dylan have been fishing together since 7th grade and have done well. They graduated this past spring, so this was their last  high-school tournament.

“Brett and Dylan worked hard to make it to the National Championship and worked even harder at the tournament, overcoming disappointment and tough fishing to make the final day and place so high,” said Rob Boswell, Brett’s dad. “We were proud of all the Georgia teams and how well they represented our state,” Rob said.

Brett and Dylan were both offered fishing scholarships at Kentucky Christian, but Brett had already committed to Georgia College. Dylan is still looking into the opportunity at Kentucky Christian.

For the National Championship tournament, the Piedmont Academy Cougars team of Jaden Hoffman and Jayden Linter placed fifth with nine bass weighing 27-lbs., 4-ozs. The North Paulding High School Wolf Pack team of Blake Edwards and Caleb Edwards finished 10th with nine bass weighing 25-lbs., 14-ozs.

Full results can be viewed at https://highschoolfishing.org/2023-14th-annual-high-school-fishing-world-finals-national-championship-home.

The 15th annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship has been announced for Lake Hartwell June 19-22, 2024. Registration for that event will open January 2024. If Georgia represented so well up North, it’ll be fun to watch what they do at home.

Blake Edwards (left) and Caleb Edwards with the North Paulding High School team finished 10th in National Championship.