Young anglers make their mark at Clarks Hill Reservoir

Blaine Bunney

For most 18-year-olds, fishing in their first ever St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by SEVIIN would be an incredibly nerve-wracking experience, especially when they drove by the boats of so many long-time pros at morning takeoff. 

Blaine Bunney didn’t feel any of that, however. 

“I knew I belonged here since I got here,” the Claremore, Okla., native said. “But that is all in your own head. You can’t compete in this game without being confident in your own game. Someone else can’t weigh your fish. Having confidence in that aspect is very important.” 

Spoken like someone destined to be a professional angler one day. 

Bunney nearly won the first Open of 2025 at Clarks Hill Reservoir, landing bags of 22-7 and 18-13 to finish in the runner-up position. The recent high school graduate carried a Bassmaster LIVE camera the entire second day as well, showing off a cool, collected attitude. In situations where many young anglers might panic, like landing a quality largemouth hooked on a crankbait without a net, Bunnery calmly moved his way to the seat and lifted the bass from the water.  

“It feels so good. I had two really good days, and you can’t ask for more than that,” he said. “Everyone in this field is going to have them this year, it is just who can put them together. Consistency in this sport is key.”

Bunney is no stranger to the tournament world. 

“I have been fishing tournaments with my dad since I was little bitty,” he said.

His grandpa also fished tournaments, which fueled his passion for the sport early on. He learned to fish on Lake Hudson, but Grand Lake is the closest “big tournament” lake to his home. 

After two years of high school fishing at Claremore High School, Bunney began fishing, and cashing checks, in the most acclaimed adult tournament trails in Oklahoma. That caught the eye of Tim Reed from Skeeter Boats and led to a unique opportunity. 

“This being my first year, I got the opportunity to go fish in all of the Opens. So I’m going to fish them all and fish everything in between,” he said. “I started fishing the Skeeter series in Oklahoma two years ago. Tim was like, ‘You need to go fish the Opens.’ Now here we are.”

Hailing from the Grand Lake region of Oklahoma, Bunney will be competing in all eight regular season Opens in hopes of qualifying for the new Elite Qualifier division and then the Bassmaster Elite Series. Already considered a college sophomore, Bunney is taking a gap year from his online courses at Rogers State University so he can pursue his fishing dreams. 

Clarks Hill was the one lake on his schedule he was most concerned about. Not just because he doesn’t have a blueback herring lake close to home, but the sheer size of the reservoir makes it difficult to break down. 

With what he considers his toughest test under his belt, Bunney will shift his focus to the start of Division 2, which kicks off at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in February. 

Bunney wasn’t the only kid to excel on Clarks Hill either. Seventeen-year-old Carter Cunningham of Dawsonville, Ga., notched a fourth-place finish in his first Opens appearance. The high school junior lives very close to the north end of Lake Lanier, which fishes similarly to Clarks Hill.

Carter Cunningham

“That’s the only reason I signed up is because Clarks Hill fishes like my home lake, and I knew I would have an advantage over others,” he explained. “I was a little nervous, but I’ve gotten pretty good at fishing here. I figured I could compete with these guys and gave it a shot.”

His best area at Clarks Hill was the same area he caught a 5-pounder during a high school tournament last year. That same spot produced the bulk of his 22-0 bag on Day 2. 

Had he won the tournament, Cunningham would have considered signing up for the rest of the Division 1 schedule. But for now, he will focus on school and continue competing in the Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation High School Series with a boost in confidence.

“If I can compete with these guys, I can compete with just about anyone,” Cunningham said.