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4th Annual Bobby Lane Cup a Success

It’s been said many times over, that “Our youth are the future of our sport.” That statement is true across every realm, but was solidified at the 4th Annual Bobby Lane Cup hosted by the Bartow High School Yellow Jackets Fishing Team. Young anglers and volunteers gathered round Camp Mack on Lake Kissimmee as Bob Lane, Sr. kicked the event off with a touching speech prior to take-off. He reiterated the significance of the day, December 7th, and spoke about the events at Pearl Harbor.

Bobby Lane poses with the winners of the Reel Kids competition Photo: Bartow High Fishing Team

Bobby Lane poses with the winners of the Reel Kids competition
Photo: Bartow High Fishing 

Mr. Lane spoke of the future that these young anglers hold in their hands, and was truly advice worth heeding. Guest appearances from Elite Series pro anglers Chris Lane, Shaw Grigsby, Terry Scroggins, Bernie Schultz, and FLW Pro JT Kenney also highlighted the event.

The Bobby Lane Cup, promoted and emceed by Elite Series Pro Bobby Lane, is an event that features 3 tournaments in 1. One of the divisions, the Reel Kids division, allowed young anglers who weren’t able to get out on the water a chance to showcase their casting abilities. Micah Labarbera accrued the most points in the 3-6 year old division. Kendall Wheeler showcased her skills in the 7-9 year old division, scoring the most points out of all the Reel Kids divisions. Trenton Bennett took the top spot of the 10-12 year old division.

The Bobby Lane Youth Cup, hosted by the Lakeland Junior Bassmasters, pits younger anglers against each other for a shot at the title of Champions, and 15 teams battled it out this year.

Garrett Manley & Jayson Cupit took 5th place honors with a 5 lb., 8 oz. total.
Kyle Brewer & Jonathan Hansell finished in 4th place with 11 pounds. even.

Bryce Goff and Roger Weigel, Jr. hoist their trophies. Photo: Bartow High Fishing

Bryce Goff and Roger Weigel, Jr. hoist their trophies.
Photo: Bartow High Fishing

Sammy Jay Acree & Fisher Cusic locked in a 3rd place finish with a 12 lb., 1 oz. total.

Last year’s champion Louie Echols teamed up with Simon Turner to catch a 12 lb., 6 oz limit to claim the runner-up spot. They handed off the title to Bryce Goff and Roger Weigel, Jr. who caught an outstanding 20 lb., 9 oz. limit to win the event. Goff also claimed honor to the Big Bass award with his 8 lb., 4 oz. lunker.

“It was kind of a grind,” stated Weigel, Jr. in his on stage interview.

Goff chimed in stating “It started out slow, but every bite we got was really good. I caught the biggest bass on a Gambler Ace against a mat.”

Goff and Weigel, Jr. are no strangers to holding up the champion’s trophy. 2015 Bassmaster Classic Qualifier Van Soles not only captained them to the Bobby Lane Youth Cup title, but also captained the team when they won the Junior Division of the B.A.S.S. Nation Florida High School Series State Championship earlier this year.

The Bobby Lane Cup is an event that high school anglers from across the state of Florida, as well as Kentucky, participated in. 62 teams representing 21 high schools fought tooth and nail to hoist the Bobby Lane Cup trophy.

Kyle Tomlinson and Beau Clymer sit in Bobby Lane's Phoenix Hot Seat

Kyle Tomlinson and Beau Clymer sit in Bobby Lane’s Phoenix Hot Seat

Travis Conrad & Ryan Burns of Ft. Myers High School finished in 5th place with a 15 lb., 12 oz. bag.

Steven Coleman, Jr. & Riley Williams of Lake Wales High School took the 4th place spot, weighing a 16 lb., 2 oz. bag.
Beau Clymer & Kyle Tomlinson represented Forrest High, and locked in a 3rd place finish with a 16 lb., 15 oz. limit. Tomlinson has had a lot of success on the Kissimmee Chain, as he and teammate Brad Cook won the B.A.S.S. Nation Florida High School Series State Championship.

Strawberry Crest High School anglers Harry Linsinbigler & Jason Wladyka finished in the runner-up spot, catching an 18 lb., 12 oz. limit. Anchoring their bag was a 9 lb., 6 oz. giant that Linsinbigler caught while flipping matted vegetation. His bait of choice was a Bruiser Baits Intruder.

“About noon, we started flipping mats,” Linsinbigler recanted while on stage. “I flipped in the mat, set the hook, and it just buried.”

Hunter Gadd, one of last year’s Bobby Lane Cup Champions teamed up with Jackson Williams from Auburndale High to win the Bobby Lane Cup back-to-back years. The duo was captained by Lakeland Bassmaster Richard Finley to a 19 lb., 1 oz. limit.

Harry Lisinberger holds up his 9 lb., 6 oz lunker

Harry Lisinbigler holds up his 9 lb., 6 oz lunker

“We started off the morning throwing moving baits. Jackson’s choice being a Gambler Big-Ez and mine being a LITL (Land is the Limit) Boom Shad around pads and Kissimmee grass, but weren’t too successful,” stated Gadd, a Junior at Bartow High School, in a post tournament interview.

With a lack of success, the team sought out matted vegetation that Gadd and Finley found in practice, hoping to change their luck.
“Jackson quickly whacked a 4-pounder. After that fish, it was left and right for a good 10 minutes,” explained Gadd. “We were catching fish back-to-back.”
Their bait of choice was a Gambler B.B. Cricket in Gold Rush color to punch through the jungle that was made up of Hyacinths and Lilly Pads.

“It was a team effort, but Jackson definitely was the anchor to our bag this time.”

The 2014 Bobby Lane Cup Scholarship Winners Photo: Bartow High Fishing

The 2014 Bobby Lane Cup Scholarship Winners
Photo: Bartow High Fishing

Since Gadd is a Junior, he has the opportunity to 3-peat in next year’s Bobby Lane Cup.
To cap off the event, 4 anglers were awarded $1,000.00 scholarships from the Bobby Lane Cup. Those anglers were Willard Wooten from Bartow High School, Cole Schmucker of George Jenkins High School, and Tate Clemens and Brianna Mink, both of Rockcastle High School in Kentucky.

This event is truly volunteer driven. 77 anglers captained 154 student anglers on the water, along with the 40 other volunteers who helped with the events at Camp Mack. Plans are already in place for the 5th Annual Bobby Lane Cup.

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