Last week, bass fishing teams from Big Lake, Becker, and Monticello High Schools met for a tournament at Big Lake Beach. Before heading onto the lake, the students participated in games and activities provided by Fleet Farm and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.  

Becker and Big Lake both had successful seasons this year and are looking forward to next year. 

Becker Team

The Becker team won the state championship last month, and Coach Dusty Wright says other teams have been asking what the secret is to creating a winning team. He assures them there is no secret: Becker is committed to getting all of the students out on the water as much as possible. The team’s 25 coaches, consisting of several retirees, gives the 80-student team plenty of opportunities to have one-on-one time with their coaches and mentors while on the water. Combine that with some natural talent, and you have a recipe for success. 

Wright says he’s also thankful to Fleet Farm, which sponsors the team, and to the Coast Guard Auxiliary, which had set up displays of invasive species to watch out for, and inspected boats going into the lake to make sure they were properly cleaned. Overall, it was an excellent learning experience for the young anglers. 

Big Lake Team

Big Lake just started its bass team this year, but have had a truly promising start. Unlike other schools, Big Lake opened up their team to all students, first through 12th grade. 

Head coach Noel Krebs said the students were very fast learners. A lot of the younger students, many of whom had not fished before joining the team, even learned to use big casters, a skill which, according to Krebs, some adult anglers have difficulty mastering. 

The more than 70 participating students and 26 coaches showed that the program was a big hit for the school district. Krebs expects that over 100 students will join the program next year.