“Redemption”

This past
Saturday at Lake Belton there were Anglers looking to not only have a chance to
win The Bass Federation’s version of the Texas State Championship, but also to
qualify for the prestigious TBF National Championship. Well, we had MISD
Anglers accomplish both feats and also gained a little “Redemption” along the
way.

The Anglers
I am referring to are Jacob Riley and Brenner Kirklin, as well as Colton
Hatzold and Jett Moore. Both of these Teams were still reeling from narrowly
missing qualifying for the Texas High School Bass Association version of the
State Championship at last week’s Regional Championship.

Well, in my
humble opinion, all of Montgomery needs to tip their caps to how these young
men responded to being knocked down. We should admire how they dusted
themselves off and rose to the occasion to place First and Second at the TBF
event, punching their tickets to the TBF National Championship. If you recall,
this is the very event where Fallon Clepper and Wyatt Ford put Montgomery on
the High School Bass Fishing Map by winning the National Championship in 2022,

Jacob Riley
and Brenner Kirklin were able to capture the TBF State Championship by fishing
exclusively with a Carolina Rig, weighing 12.10 pounds. According to the pair,
“we fished steep Bluff Banks, with a cotton candy finesse worm, and our
high-speed Lew’s reels really made the difference for us.” Jacob and Brenner went on to say that “we had
a tremendous day, catching over 50 fish, of which over 25 were keepers.” The team went on to say, “we really would
like to thank our Captain Jason Riley for all of his hard work during the
season.”

Coming in
Second at the TBF event was the Team of Colton Hatzold and Jett Moore,
Captained by Bryton Kurtz. This team was also able to put together a deep bite,
catching their 4 keepers, including the big fish of the event, a 5-pound 5
ounce largemouth, which brought their total for the day to 12 pounds 6 ounces. According
to the pair, “we caught well over 25 fish during the day, but only 4
keepers.” Their Captain Bryton Kurtz
went on to say that “the guys targeted wood and rocky points with a shaky head
worm in a June Bug Red color, fishing way up the river.”

Colton Hatzold and Jett Moore.

Overall, the
20 Teams from MISD caught keeper fish, with all of them being able to walk
across the stage. It was a great event run by the TBF, and we are looking
forward to seeing what is in store at the National Championship in late June at
Grand Lake of the Cherokees. Maybe another National Title being brought home to
Montgomery. With these two Teams, it is a definite possibility, as they are
seeking “Redemption.”