Marble Falls student-angler duo finishes fourth at state fishing tourney on Lake LBJ
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
HORSESHOE BAY — At other high school fishing tournaments, weigh-ins are complete in about an hour. But not at the one March 16 on Lake LBJ, the site of the Texas High School State Fishing Championship, which was hosted by the high school fishing club at Marble Falls.
That’s because of the 68 boats that were launched by 7 a.m. and 51 teams returning with fish that needed to be weighed. That’s 180 total fish weighing 403 pounds.
In all, it took about two hours to complete.
Marble Falls entered 14 boats, and its best finish was from the duo of Cole Van Brocklin and Tyler Rutherford, who were fourth overall.
“Get on either side of me gentlemen. You might just be our new leaders. Let me see here,” said Mitch Smith, the high school program manager of the Student Angler Federation as he weighed Van Brocklin’s and Rutherford’s fish. “Almost, almost. Fifteen pounds 3 ounces. I’m thinking that’s going to put you pretty high up there.”
Smith added that at another tournament, the duo would have probably finished first.
RESULTS: Marble Falls — (4) Cole Van Brocklin and Tyler Rutherford, 5 fish weighing 15 pounds 3 ounces; (13) Jordan Breaux and Jordan Wright, 5 fish weighing 11 pounds 1 ounce; (14) Shilo Nelson and Ben Stripling, 5 fishing weighing 10 pounds 14 ounces; (19) Lyle Schmidt and Lane Amidon, 5 fish weighing 9 pounds 11 ounces; (25) Roy Dunavant and Jordan Childress, 4 fish weighing 7 pounds 12 ounces; (26) Austin Ellis and Hunter McNeese, 5 fish weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces; (36) Chris Mata and Hunter Delz, 3 fish weighing 5 pounds; (38) Austin Free and Dillon Caldwell, 2 fish weighing 4 pounds 8 ounces; (40) Sam Kohutek and Isaac Salas, 2 fish weighing 3 pounds 14 ounces; (43) Cody Box and Ty Wynn, 2 fish weighing 3 pounds 8 ounces
BIG BASS: Colton Mitchell and Dallin Bishop (Leander Rouse), 7 pounds 11 ounces. The duo won the tournament by catching a total of 3 fish weighing 15 pounds and 13 ounces. Each received a $1,000 scholarship from the Marble Falls organizers and area businesses.
NOTABLE: Knox Kronenberg and Richie Pusateri (Austin Westlake) and Wyatt Frankens and Clay Nash (Corrigan-Camden) were tied for second place. Organizers had to go to a third tiebreaker to determine second place, which went to the team that finished the earliest. Kronenberg and Pusateri were in boat No. 7, while Frankens and Nash, the defending state champions, were in boat No. 20. The second-place finishers each received a $500 scholarship from the Marble Falls organizers and area businesses. The first tiebreaker was the total number of fish caught, and each had five. And the second tiebreaker was the number of fish that lived. All 10 fish were alive.
jfierro@thepicayune.com
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The Marble Falls fishing club team of Jordan Wright (left) and Jordan Breaux show the fish they caught when competing at the Texas High School State Championship on March 16 at Lake LBJ. The two were 13th overall with a total fish weight of 11 pounds 1 ounce. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
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Shilo Nelson (left) and Ben Stripling begin taking out the five fish they caught March 16 at Lake LBJ while competing in the Texas High School State Championship. The two finished 14th overall with a fish weight of 10 pounds 14 ounces. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
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Volunteer Steve Manley (right) puts a fish back into the weight bag for the Marble Falls fishing club team of Hunter Delz and Chris Mata after Manley measured the length of each fish. Delz and Mata caught three fish weighing 5 pounds and finished 36th. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
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