Texas High School Bass Championship – Belton – Cedar Ridge Park – 6/05 & 6/06/10
The first annual event will be held on Lake Belton in Temple, Texas. Get ready to fish! Show off your angling skills against other high schools from around the state and win the official title and trophy, college tuition money and other prizes!
The Justin Rackley Fishin’ Mission
Background
I’ve been a competitor all my life. In high school I spent my time on the baseball field honing my pitching skills. My senior year I was faced with a serious back injury and was forced to sit out from the sport I had dedicated myself to for many years. I had always fished as a kid and my father had introduced me to the outdoors at an early age. To compensate for all the time I had on my hands not being able to practice or play baseball, I picked up the fishing rods and starting pond hoping around my home town. My competitive attitude brought me to fishing small tournaments with friends and eventually brought me to local lakes. My father, noticing my new found passion, purchased a small aluminum boat which I quickly had on the lakes and entering bass tournaments.
My time on the water allowed my back to heal and eventually I tried picking up the glove and ball again. I played junior college baseball and still fished tournaments locally but finally realized that I was addicted to tournament angling. I threw in the towel for good in 2005 and focused my efforts toward getting accepted into Texas A&M University. I wanted to study fisheries and I heard the Aggies had a bass fishing team, therefore the perfect school for me was chosen.
I became a National Collegiate Champion in 2007 for the Aggies and got my degree in Fisheries Ecology in 2008. Now I’m a professional angler in the PAA and I am working to inspire more young anglers and educate them on the importance of our nation’s fisheries.
Birth of the THBFC
I would have absolutely loved to have been able to fish in a high school bass fishing tournament when I was in high school. I got to experience the action of collegiate angling and have watched the sport grow exponentially. High school is the next step! I know there are others like me that are hooked on fishing in their teenage years. The THBFC is the competitive opportunity that I wish I had at that time.
Entry Fee: $100.00 per team
