Nearly a year after setting a goal that began with the disappointment of narrowly missing nationals, Woodford County’s young anglers can now say they stood on one of the biggest stages in high school bass fishing.
The Bass Jackets returned from the Bassmaster National Championship at Kentucky Lake after competing against 115 of the top boats from across North America, including teams from Canada.
For a program made up entirely of middle school-age anglers fishing under the Woodford County High School banner, simply earning the opportunity was an accomplishment. Competing on the national stage and finishing in the top half of the field gave the team even more confidence about what lies ahead.
Woodford County was one of just three Kentucky programs to qualify for the national championship, and remarkably claimed two of those three spots. That achievement came after months of consistency on the Kentucky Bass Nation trails, where anglers earned points throughout the season based on tournament finishes. Jed Butler and Jamison Ray captured Kentucky Bass Nation West Trail Angler of the Year honors, while John Nathan Abbott and Hunter Gayheart won the Kentucky Bass Nation State Trail Angler of the Year title to punch their tickets to nationals.
Once at Kentucky Lake, the competition only became tougher.
Butler and Ray finished 48th in the nation with a two-day total of 7 pounds, 12 ounces. Abbott and Gayheart added another solid performance, placing 77th with 4 pounds, 6 ounces.
For coach David Graves, the results were another milestone in a season that saw the young anglers prove they belong among some of the best teams in the country.
“Our state of Kentucky qualified only three teams for the national championship at Kentucky Lake,” Graves said in an email to the Sun. “Woodford County had taken two of those spots.”
The national championship was the final chapter of a season built on countless hours of practice, preparation and learning. Throughout the year, the anglers and their boat captains sharpened everything from knot-tying and electronics to lure selection and fish-finding techniques, while learning the patience required to compete at a high level.
“They have had a great season winning their trails to qualify for the nationals, and I am looking forward to seeing them fish in the future,” Graves said.
The most exciting part for the Bass Jackets is that this group is just getting started.
Every angler who represented Woodford County at the national championship is still of middle school age or beginning high school in a couple weeks, meaning they have several more years to compete together before graduating. After proving they could qualify two boats from Kentucky and hold their own against the nation’s best, the future of the program appears bright.