Bass fisherman tend to be a close-knit group; competitors on the water, and typically friends at the boat ramp. But I can’t say I’ve seen a much closer group than the anglers of the Suwannee River. These guys fish, hunt, and travel together as if they were family. That camaraderie helped in the growth of the 2nd Annual Fishing for Autism Bass Tournament held on the Suwannee River. The event which helps raise funds to benefit the Little Star Center in Jacksonville nearly doubled in size from the year prior, growing from 54 teams to 95 in that year’s time. The Little Star Center is a school that focuses on education and behavioral services for children diagnosed with Autism and other developmental delays.
“We give our students a one-on-one or one-on-two type of practicum,” explained Tiffany Keen, Promotions Director for Little Star Center. “We are a 501c3, so we depend on events like this to help fund any programs that we have.”
The two-day tournament held at Ellie Ray’s RV and Lounge was a registered event for the 2016 Florida State Team Championship (FSTC), meaning the Top 4 teams would be invited to compete at Lake Toho April 8-10, 2016 while representing Little Star Center.
The 95-boat field was cut down to the Top 15 teams at the conclusion of day one. Donnie Feagle and Josh Lester led the tournament with a 17.89-pound, five-bass limit, but with a lead of just over two pounds, it would still be anyone’s tournament to win.
Jason Pate and Michael Graham burned about 80 gallons of fuel over the weekend, but it paid off for them in the form of the $7,000.00 first place prize. Over two days, the team weighed 31.31 pounds to secure the win. Jeremy Dorhan and Buddy May locked in a second place finish with a 27.79-pound, two-day total. Robbie Ratliff and Chico Barnett made the biggest jump up the leaderboard from twelfth to third place as they weighed 27.05 pounds over two days. Donnie Feagle and Josh Lester slipped to fourth place with a two-day total of 25.04 pounds, but secured the final birth to the 2016 FSTC.
Feagle was also the tournament director for the event and was extremely instrumental in the growth of the tournament. With proceeds from the tournament itself, and the expansive list of items from the raffle table that included Yeti coolers and a Big Green Egg, the event was able to raise $16,549.44 to benefit Little Star Center. 10% of those proceeds were then donated back to Suwannee County area ESE programs by Little Star Center.
If you would like more information on the Little Star Center in Jacksonville, visit www.littlestarjax.com.
