By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
Fishing is the furthest thing from a sure bet in the sports world. So many factors must go right to have a successful day on the water that even the best anglers can get stumped.
Woodruff anglers Micah Horton and Lake Smith do not let those ever-changing variables get in their way.
Horton and Smith won the prestigious South Carolina Youth Bass Trail championship for an unprecedented third year in a row this spring and have qualified to compete in the national championship tournament on Lake Hartwell in July.
It is hard enough to win the trail one time, explained Wolverines fishing coach Ricky Edmonds, but to win it three times in a row is a feat that is unheard of given the varying circumstances that fishing entails.
“This team we have at Woodruff has accomplished a feat that has never been done before,” said Edmonds. “To win the points championship three years in a row is unprecedented. They are fishing against 42 to 48 schools and around 160 to 170 boats every tournament for eight tournaments a year.
You have to be consistent in fishing and cannot have a bad tournament.”
Edmonds further explained, “So to win one trail championship is great, winning two in a row, you have really done something special, but winning three in a row is absurdly hard. This is a feat that may never be surpassed.”
Both Horton and Smith spend countless hours and days on the water, perfecting their angling skills. Both explained what makes them such a successful duo.
“First off, I have to give a huge thanks to our boat captain, Kerry Smith,” said Horton. “Without him, we wouldn’t be where we are. I feel blessed to have won three years in a row, especially this year, only winning by a single point. It’s all about consistency because we didn’t win a tournament all year. We just had top-10 finishes in almost every tournament.”
Smith added, “It felt really good after we were named the trail champions again for the third year in a row after all of the hard work and hours on the lake pre-fishing. We normally pre-fish three or more times per tournament which includes waking up super early to be down at the chosen lake at sunrise and staying out there most of the day. It also includes countless trial and error to find the right spot on the lake that the fish are holding onto for whatever reason and figuring out what they will bite.”
Edmonds elaborated on everything that goes into preparing for the tournaments that Horton and Smith compete in. The list of knowledge is impressive.
“It’s all a science,” he said. “You have to study moon phases that tell you what the fish are doing. You study the lakes, locations, and So much goes into this, and it is a lot of studying.”
Horton, a rising senior, and Smith, who is a rising junior at Woodruff High School, will have one more year together to potentially defend their crown again and win the trail for a fourth consecutive season. First, they will have their eyes and lines set on the national championship, which will be held from July 27-29. They will compete against up to 300 teams from across the United States. It is something both are looking forward to.
“Lake and I fish hard all day, even when it’s tough, and that happens often,” Horton said. “That is another reason why we are successful. We are looking forward to fishing that national championship again and hoping to finish higher than last time, especially because it’s on one of our home lakes where we know we can catch’em.”
Smith added, “I’m really looking forward to the national championship because unlike all the other teams that are coming in from out of state, me and Micah have a lot of experience and a lot of hours put in on Lake Hartwell. So, we know a lot more about the fish this time of the year and what they are doing going into the tournament, which gives us an advantage.”
Author: Tracy Sanders
