Bass Fishing: The sport you’ve probably never heard of
Griffin Curtis, 12, and Johnny Lee Tompkins, 12, pictured with their catch of the day at weigh-in.
April 10, 2023
Despite being a part of Braswell’s UIL competition offerings for nearly five years, the Braswell Bass Fishing team has remained one of the school’s hidden gems. Three-year-veteran Griffin Curtis, 12, enjoys the simultaneous escape and challenge that being on the lake provides.
“I like being out on the water,” Curtis said. “It keeps my mind busy. I like the thrill of throwing out for hours and catching anything, even though you get that one fish that bites on and you’re fighting for it.”
Bass fishing is equal parts art and science. According to Curtis, techniques differ based on location and fish species.
“It just depends on what you’re fishing for, like we’re fishing for bass so we gotta use different techniques,” Curtis said. “You have your crank baits, which you’re throwing out. Those are just gonna go out a little deeper, and then you’re just reeling those in. You got jigs and stuff, which you’re gonna get some motion and those are gonna sink at the bottom and look like a worm, and those are jerk baits.”
As fun as being out on the water can be, fishing can have its ups and downs.
“If it’s over 14 inches it’s a keeper, so it’s very nice to have it weighing in to get the points on the board.” Curtis said. “A downside is you know not every fish is going to be a keeper, so it’s not gonna work for you so sometimes. I am the only one this year that has caught a keeper.”
Scoring for bass fishing works a little differently than other UIL sports.
“So what determines how you come in first place is your overall weight, so you can catch five total fish per team as long as they’re keepers, which is over 14 inches I believe,” Curtis said “The total weight to catch determines how you’re gonna place.”
After all competitors have reeled in their final catches of the day comes the most time consuming part of the competition: weigh-ins.
“If we catch something we have to go up to the stage and we gotta weigh it, and they’ll record the weight and have us throw it into this tank,” Curtis said. “The tank has all the fish that have been caught that are still alive to restock back into the lakes for the ecosystem.”
Curtis and his team mate, Johnny Thompkins, 12, were the only two seniors to compete in the 2022-2023 season. The year’s end was bittersweet for both teammates.
“My favorite part of being on the team was getting to travel across North Texas and hang out with my best friend, Johnny.”
