But Mike Boswell of Bartow, who will be a freshman this fall, hopes to change that.
"I'm going to get Polk State involved in the FLW Collegiate Fishing Tour. That would be pretty cool,'' Boswell said.
The 18-year-old is a charter member of the Bartow High School Yellow Jackets Fishing Team and a member of the Lakeland Junior Hawg Hunters club.
This week, Boswell will compete in the National Guard Junior World Championship on Lake Lanier about an hour north of Atlanta.
He likes his chances of becoming the first junior angler from Florida to win that national title.
"You've got to have the right mind-set. You've got to be confident in your fishing,'' Boswell said.
"I feel like I can win it, being from the closest state to Georgia,'' he said.
Juniors from 41 states are fishing Friday and Saturday for a $5,000 college scholarship. Boswell qualified by winning the Florida Bass Federation Junior State Championship on East Lake Toho in late April.
"I'm positive I can compete with the Georgia anglers as well as all the other anglers that are going to be there,'' Boswell said.
The junior event is being held in conjunction with the Forrest Wood Cup, the season championship for the FLW Tour and other FLW Outdoors trails. The pros will serve as boat captains for the junior anglers.
"They've limited pros to sections of the lake and the juniors to sections of the lake so we don't get in each other's way,'' Boswell said.
He has experience on large reservoirs like Lanier, having fished on Lake Norman at Charlotte, N.C., Lake Murray in South Carolina and Lake Eufala in south Georgia.
Boswell plans to find spotted bass and largemouth casting deep-diving crankbaits, drop-shot rigs and shaky-heads around structure as deep as 30-70 feet.
Growing up in Florida, he has learned not to horse bass to the boat, especially with the light 8- and 10-pound test he'll be using on Lanier.
"Spots have a lot smaller mouth than a largemouth, so you've got to let them do their thing and put them in the boat,'' he said.
The son of Derek and Barbara Boswell, Mike said he has been fortunate to be a fisherman all his life.
"My grandfather and my dad have had me on the lake since I could walk,'' he said. "I'm teaching them a few things now.''
But he had to admit that his dad, the tournament director for the Yellow Jackets team and a member of the Lakeland Hawg Hunters, can still beat him.
After graduating from Polk State in two years, Boswell said he might transfer to the University of Central Florida, which already has a fishing team.
"I'm going to major in business to see how bait companies are run, and how a lot of the products in the industry are going,'' he said. "Hopefully, I'll have my own bait company or a clothing company for anglers one day.''
With his junior career almost over, Boswell said he might join the Winter Haven Lunker Lovers club, which is affiliated with FLW Outdoors and The Bass Federation.
"I like the way the FLW Tour has its schedule planned out and the lakes they fish,'' he said. "I'd like to fish against them some day.''
His young career is certainly off to a great start.
BASS TOURNAMENTS
James Pearson hauled in a 33.77-pound stringer to dominate the Camp Mack Open on the Kissimmee Chain Saturday. Pearson's 8.61-pounder was the biggest bass. Darrell Cranor finished second with 23.47 pounds. Bobby Wooten placed third with 22.63 pounds.
Darrell Cranor and Randy Cranor combined for a 22.79-pound stringer to win the Xtreme Series Kissimmee Division tournament Sunday. William Hendren and Richie Upchurch finished second with 22.69 pounds. Wesley Wise and Forrest Greenfield placed third with 17.89 pounds, including the big bass of 8.52 pounds.
Stan Adams and Robert Gatlin swept big-bass and overall honors in the Ron's Tackle Box evening tournament on the south Winter Haven chain last Thursday with an 8-pound, 15-ounce bass topping a 19-pound, 10-ounce stringer. Telly Smith and Trevor Fike took second with 15 pounds, 11 ounces. Monte Goodman and Eric Conant finished third with 13 pounds, 5 ounces.
Jack Alward and Willard Combee won the Sunday Open Series tournament on Lake Parker Sunday with 18 3/4 pounds. Terry Pierce and Lewis Veal took second with 14 pounds, 6 ounces, while third went to Ismael Garcia Jr. and Ismael Garcia Sr. with 12 pounds, 11 ounces. Wesley and Jordan netted the biggest bass at 7 pounds, 3 ounces.
Dustin Bozeman won the 15-18 age group in the Lakeland Junior Bassmasters tournament on Lake Reedy Saturday with 11.35 pounds. Jamie Eskdale and Jay Malys tied for second with 7.15 pounds, but it was awarded to Eskdale on the basis of his 6 1/2-pounder for the biggest bass. In the 11-14 age group, Jackson Williams won his second straight tournament with 5.60 pounds. Dalton Gorman was second with 5.40 pounds, followed by Cole Schmucker with 5.15 pounds.
[ Del Milligan's freshwater fishing column appears Thursdays in The Ledger. He can be reached at del.milligan@theledger.com or 863-802-7555. Milligan's blog, Central Florida Fishology, can be found at theledger.com home page. ]
