Arizona Duo Wins National High School Bass Title

First posted on 07-28-2011

Two Arizona teenagers solved a lake like none near their Phoenix homes plus brutal heat to capture first place in the 2011 High School Fishing World finals on Lake Dardanelle.

Thomas Chambers and Brandon Koon won a total of more than $33,000 in prizes, with their five final round bass weighing three pounds more than the runners-up, Kendall Goates and Cody Chesser of Dover.

The three-day tournament was a project of The Bass Federation, headquartered in Ponca City, Okla. The competitors were 106 two-angler teams from 23 states. The 2010 tournament was also held on Lake Dardanelle, with weigh-ins at the popular Lake Dardanelle State Park fishing facility. Exhibits, including the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission mobile aquarium, were popular with hundreds of visitors.

The top prize was unusual as well as an eye-opener.

Chambers and Koon received a scholarship package potentially worth $32,000. Bethel University of McKenzie, Tenn., gave the two $4,000 scholarships each, and they are renewable for four years. Bethel is believed to be the only college in the country offering fishing scholarships. It competes in collegiate bass fishing events.

The seven finalist teams after two days of fishing started from scratch on the final day. Previous weights didn’t count. The final results:

Thomas Chambers and Brandon Koon, Phoenix, Ariz., 19 pounds, 8 ounces.

Kendall Goates and Cody Chesser, Dover High School, 16 pounds, 8 ounces.

Kristopher Queen and Chelsey Queen, Bandys High School, N.C., 12 pounds, 2 ounces.

Devin Baxley and T.J. Miller, Greenbrier High School, 8 pounds, 11 ounces.

Cody Mecalo and Cody Seats, North Pulaski High School, 7 pounds, 9 ounces.

Stephen Compton and Curt Lindsey, Meade County, Ky., 4 pounds, 11 ounces.

Cody Jeffers and Trevor Jeffers, Barnwell County, SC., 4 pounds, 6 ounces.

Chambers and Koon did have one advantage over the other finalists. They were the second place team a year ago in the tournament.

Chambers said, “We don’t have any river systems lakes like Dardanelle in Arizona. We have to drive about an hour from our homes to bass fish.”

The winners worked crank baits and plastic worms off main lake points, mostly behind sandbars. Chambers said the bass hit hard, some in three feet of water and some in as much as eight feet of water.

“We went out looking for a good spot, and we just got there and hit them up, and within about an hour we had a limit of about 16 pounds, and by afternoon we were culling 3-pounders,” Koon said.

Along with the scholarships, Chambers and Koon received two laptop computers, two $500 Cabela’s gift cards and fishing gear. They also received a berth in the upcoming collegiate bass fishing championship of The Bass Federation.

Second-place Goates and Chesser had won the Arkansas high school bass title a few weeks ago on Lake Maumelle. They received two $300 Cabela’s gift cards, two high definition televisions and fishing gear.

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