High School Bass Fishing Tournaments

 fishingCONCORD, N.H. -- A qualifying tournament with 41 registered schools will take place on Thursday, September 24, out of Lee's Mills on Lake Winnipesaukee. The top third of the schools from the qualifying round will move onto the state finals tournament on Saturday, October 3, on Lake Winnisquam. There will be one reigning state champion and individual medals will be awarded at the final tournament for the largest total catch (eight fish maximum), and for the largest largemouth and largest smallmouth bass caught.

Since the first-ever student bass tournament in May of 2013, these tournaments have become a popular high school sports competition in New Hampshire. The tournaments include a strong educational component. Teams have adult mentors who guide them through the process of learning about New Hampshire's aquatic resources and the responsibility that goes along with being anglers. Additionally, the N.H. Fish and Game Department recently conducted a High School Bass Fishing Education Seminar in August.

Conducted by the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA), with assistance from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the NH B.A.S.S. Nation, high school bass fishing tournaments occur in the fall of each year. One of the goals of the NHIAA is to promote sports that will have lifelong appeal to student athletes and provide more sports that are coed and inclusive to all populations within our schools.

"It is exciting to see how enthusiastic the students are about fishing and I hope that fishing becomes a lifelong activity for them," said Kyle Glencross, who coordinates the N.H. Fish and Game Department's Let's Go Fishing Program. Glencross and N.H. Fish and Game Fisheries Biologist Gabe Gries serve on the NHIAA Bass Fishing Committee and provide logistical and volunteer support for this event.

Additional information about the tournament can be found on the NHIAA website at nhiaa.org. The New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association is a private not-for-profit organization that has served as the leader of high school athletics for its member schools in New Hampshire since 1947.