Fishing for competition: Pueblo West offers state's only angling team - Denver Post

Print   Email   Font ResizeOutdoorsBy Scott Willoughby
The Denver PostPosted:   08/14/2013 12:01:00 AM MDTUpdated:   08/14/2013 01:19:52 AM MDT
David Salay, an incoming junior at Pueblo West High School, checks the readings on a fish finder at Lake Pueblo. Salay says the team "far exceeded my expectations," and he plans to continue fishing after high school. (Jerry Neal, The Denver Post)

PUEBLO — Kids used to ditch school to go fishing. At Pueblo West High School, it's the other way around.

The first and only Colorado high school to offer a fishing team sanctioned by the Student Angler Federation (SAF) is giving kids a reason to come to class. And, for about 20 students participating in the school's Cyclone Anglers club, learning how to land a big bass ranks right up there with earning a varsity letter for football, basketball or baseball.

"Fishing and the outdoors is kind of my thing," said club president Matt Mason, a senior who won the inaugural Colorado state championship in 2011 along with teammate Cody Crump. "I used to play football and baseball, but they never caught my interest as much as fishing did. I like it because it's something different."

In an era when concern over the so-called "nature deficit disorder" runs rampant, Mason's shared experience with the Cyclone Anglers bucks the trend. While other kids his age are mindlessly surfing the Internet, cruising the mall or sweating through layers of Under Armour in preparation for the big game, Mason and his pals are out on nearby Pueblo Reservoir, searching for signs of bass, walleye and other game fish as they hone the techniques they hope will give them a leg up on their competition come tournament time.

"Some people claim it's all luck, but I think there's more skill than people give it credit," Mason said. "I think of it like a game of chess — you try to make the right move and hope it works out. Any cast could be the fish of a lifetime."

Luck was on Mason's side in 2009 when foreign language teacher Steve Spock began sponsoring the Cyclone Anglers club in response to student demand. By 2011, Pueblo West had become a member of the SAF, an offshoot of the long-established Bass Federation, which enabled the Cyclones to participate in tournaments and lay claim to the state championship title. Crump and Mason topped two-man teams from New Mexico, Arizona and unaffiliated schools from Colorado.

For Mason, finding the club not only eased the challenging transition from middle school to high school, it set the wheels in motion for a career as a wildlife biologist with the ambition of applying his skills at Colorado Parks and Wildlife after college.

"It was so exciting to me because I love to fish," Mason said. "Knowing that there's something I can do to better my skills and learn more, that makes going to school that much better. And it's not just about fishing. It's about camaraderie. You make friends."

Outside of Colorado, competitive fishing is growing as a high school sport. Kentucky, Illinois and New Hampshire all have sanctioned bass fishing as a varsity sport. Similar efforts are underway in South Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas and Alabama. But the lack of involvement from other schools in Colorado has left the Cyclone Anglers longing for competition.

"It's a little disappointing. We're not the biggest school in the state, yet we can do something like this. There are so many bigger schools and so many resources out there," Spock said. "Hopefully, one day, some of these other schools will get on board."

Spock and his wife, Amy, both dedicate personal time and money to keep the Cyclone Anglers afloat (in their own boats). The rewards, they say, are well worth it.

"It's an extension of teaching in the classroom. I enjoy the young people and helping them grow and develop and learn. It's just something else to get them excited that's not traditional academics or athletics," Spock said. "If they aren't into the athletics, yet they still like being outside, they have a place where they feel like they are still part of the high school experience."

Spock, a Pueblo native and lifelong outdoorsman, has seen his team grow by about five or six students a year, some who had never before fished or done anything in the outdoors.

Club members such as Pueblo West junior David Salay say the experience has been mutually beneficial.

"It's far exceeded my expectations. There's a whole lot more to it than just going out to a lake and going fishing," Salay said. "I plan on sticking with the club for the next two years and keep fishing after high school."

Fortunately for Salay, Mason and the rest of the Cyclone Anglers, Spock said the club won't be going away.

"If we could make fishing a sanctioned sport in Colorado, it would just give those students that are involved with us now as well as those who would like to get involved just that much more reason to participate," Spock said. "Even if it does not become a recognized sport by the state, we'll continue to go. As long as I've got students that want to go, I'll take them out."

Scott Willoughby: 303-954-1993, swilloughby@denverpost.com or twitter.com/willoughbydp

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2012 Team Military Bass Competition to Alabama

ATHENS, Ala. - The best bass anglers in the U.S. Armed Forces will gather at Lewis Smith Lake near Jasper, Alabama, from April 29-May 4, 2012, to compete in the 22nd annual Military Team Bass Championship tournament.

"We are very excited to host the American Bass Anglers Military Team Bass Championship and to invite the country's most avid military bass anglers and their families to our community," said Linda Lewis, executive director of the Walker County Chamber of Commerce. "The direct economic impact alone of these events makes this a wise investment to our area. Furthermore, when coupled with the immeasurable media exposure that a community such as ours would otherwise not be able to obtain, the return on our investment increases tremendously. The pride and excitement that is felt throughout the community for hosting such a well-known, well-respected organization also adds to the benefits. Our citizens take every opportunity available to thank the men and women who put their lives on the line every day for us to enjoy our freedoms. We are overjoyed to welcome our military to our community."

The week-long celebration culminates in the three-day bass tournament. Deep, clear and blue, Lewis Smith Lake covers about 21,200 acres of Walker, Winston and Cullman counties about 20 miles northwest of Birmingham, Ala. More than 500 miles of shorelines studded with large rocks, fallen trees and other cover provide outstanding habitat for largemouth and Kentucky spotted bass. In places, the lake about 20 miles northwest of Birmingham drops to more than 264 feet deep. Created in 1961, the lake formed when Alabama Power Company built a dam across the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River. On the western side of the lake, the 180,000-acre Bankhead National Forest keeps the area wild and pristine.

"We are excited to be going to Smith Lake for the 22nd annual meeting of our Military Team Bass anglers," said Debra Talley, ABA national marketing director. "The Jasper/Smith Lake community knows the importance of tournament fishing and welcomes participants with open arms. Our military anglers are in for a real treat from this fishing savvy town. They go above and beyond what is normally expected of a host community to insure a great time is had by everyone in attendance. We can't wait to spend this week with them."

Long associated with the U.S. Armed Forces, ABA began in 1975 as the Military Bass Anglers Association, an organization dedicated to providing bass anglers in the military an opportunity to compete in tournaments with other military members. In 2000, Morris Sheehan, a life member who retired from the U.S. Army, bought MBAA, renamed it American Bass Anglers Inc., and relocated it to Athens, Ala.

The Military Team Bass Fishing Tournament began in 1991 to promote fishing and camaraderie among all branches of the military. Any active duty Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, Reserve or Coast Guard member may fish in this event. Families of military members at least 16 years old, Department of Defense civilians, contractors and retired military members may also fish this event. The tournament will crown an "Angler of the Year" from each of the military branches.

In 2011, Majors Hamby and Ron Figueroa, representing the U.S. Army, won the 21st annual American Bass Anglers Military Team Bass Championship tournament, held May 4-6, 2011, at Clarks Hill Lake on the Georgia-South Carolina line. They beat 120 teams, bringing in a perfect three-day tournament limit of 15 bass weighing 40.77 pounds with a 3.76-pound kicker. For the victory, Hamby and Figueroa won an opportunity to spend four days and three nights at Los Sueños Resort in Costa Rica, courtesy of Early Times Kentucky Whisky and JDC Marketing.

Lake: Lewis Smith Lake

Ramp: Alabama Power Dam Ramp Near Jasper, AL

Dates: May 2-4, 2012

Registration Opens: November 14, 2011 (boat numbers assigned based on date and time of entry)

Holiday Inn Express
202 OAK HILL ROAD
JASPER , ALABAMA 35504
Hotel Phone: 1-205-302-6400

For more information on the Military Bass Anglers, call (888) 203-6222. On line, see www.militarybassanglers.com

About American Bass Anglers
American Bass Anglers is the largest tournament organization for the weekend angler. American Bass Anglers operates the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series and the American Couples Series. Each tour is designed specifically for the weekend angler, offering low-cost and close-to-home events where anglers can qualify for a larger championship. For more information on American Bass Anglers and the Military Tournament, visit www.americanbassanglers.com or www.militarybassanglers.com.

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