Teens participate in pro bass camp

Young anglers participated in Kurt Dove’s Pro Bass Camp, where roasting marshmallows takes a back seat to fishing Lake Amistad out of a bass rig.

DEL RIO, Texas — Not all summer camps are created equal, especially for those aspiring to be professional bass anglers.

Those young fishermen now have Kurt Dove’s Pro Bass Camp, where roasting marshmallows takes a back seat to fishing Lake Amistad out of a bass rig.

“I had this vision of a youth fishing summer camp for a while,” said Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kurt Dove. “With the help of Chase Kemp from The Donald R. Kemp Youth Hunting Club, I was able to get the camp started.”

The camp, which is open to anglers age 18 and younger, attracted 18 participants from all over the country, including Virginia, Hawaii, New Mexico and Texas.

Campers stayed overnight for the four-day camp and hit the water every day from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. After they got off the water each day, they learned to paint crankbaits, make plastic lures and build rods, and they attended seminars taught by professional anglers, including Dove, Denny Brauer, Harold Allen, Debra Hengst and Dave Mansue.

“There are a lot of young anglers aspiring to become tournament anglers,” said Kemp, “and there wasn’t really a place for them to go to further their knowledge, spend time with professional anglers and improve mentally and physically as anglers. This camp offers them a great opportunity for them to do that and learn from the best.”

To participate in future camps, email Chase Kemp.

See a slideslow of this year’s event below.