When the Texas High School Bass Association announced last year that they would be holding the annual Angler of the Year Tournament on Lake Conroe in early June, the 56 Schools in the Houston Area that call Lake Conroe their home lake, were ecstatic. Finally, the Houston Area Schools, from both the Houston and Bayou Divisions, would have a chance to showcase their talents close to home.
To briefly explain what the Angler of the Year Tournament is, the THSBA invites the Top 10 Individual Teams from each Division, of which there are 9, and pits them against one another in a Tournament that brings the Best of the Best from each Division. On the line, bragging rights between the Divisions, as well as Academy Gift Cards, and other prizes from THSBA sponsors such as Lew’s, Strike King, and Costa.
The Individual Teams are of course looking to win for themselves, but the format also awards the Division which comes in with the most total weight for their respective Divisions. Being that this event was on Lake Conroe, the prohibitive favorites would be either the Houston or Bayou Divisions.
This is exactly how it played out, as the Bayou Division ended up the most total weight out of the 9 Divisions present, led by the Team of Hunter Boren and Joe Fleming from Pearland Dawson. The pair wowed the crowd with a 5 bass limit that eclipsed 30 pounds. In fact, the fishing was so good on Lake Conroe, that it took over 17 pounds just to be in the Top Ten for this event.
The MISD Fishing Team had 3 Individual Teams representing us, due to the fact that they all finished in the Top 10 for the Houston Division. They were reigning Angler of the Year Cade Lipham, Fallon Clepper & Wyatt Ford, who finished 4th in the Houston Division, as well as Hayden Brandes, who finished 7th in the final Seasonal Standings. These three Teams led the Houston Division to a 2nd place finish out of 9 Divisions, as well as being the 2nd Ranked High School/Program out of 59 competing, with 6A powerhouse Pearland Dawson, winning 1st.
Leading the way for MISD were Fallon & Wyatt, who brought in a limit that weighed 16.17 pounds for a 12th place finish. They were followed by Cade Lipham with a limit of his own for 13.84 pounds, claiming 21st Place, while Hayden Brandes brought in 3 very nice fish that weighed 12.72 pounds, nailing down 25th place. This, out of 82 Teams from 9 different Divisions. All Totaled the MISD Fishing Team had a combined weight of 43.13 pounds.
By all accounts this event was highly successful, with Lake Conroe and Montgomery showing the THSBA and the Teams across the State what Lake Conroe and the Montgomery Area are all about. Also, the Student Anglers of the Houston Area defended their “Home Turf” by claiming 1st & 2nd in the Divisional Challenge. Pearland Dawson led the way for the Bayou Division, and the MISD Fishing Team leading the way for the Houston Division’s 2nd Place finish.
The MISD Fishing Team would like to thank all of its many sponsors, parents, captains, school administrators and staff for all the support we received during the season. We would also like to thank the Montgomery County News, as well as Dock Line Magazine, for allowing us the opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of the students of MISD.