The 2017 Bassmaster High School All-American team participated in a special Bassmaster High School All-American Bass Tournament held in conjunction with the 2017 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department event out of Lufkin, Texas. Each All-American angler will be paired with an Elite Series pro for the one-day derby to be held on a nearby fishery.
Here Bassmaster Elite Series pro Darrell Ocamica and All-American Tyler Lubbat prepare to launch on Lake Naconiche.
Photo: Seigo Saito
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High School All-American Bryer Pennington of Arkansas waits in his partner's boat.
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Bassmaster Elite Series pro Shane Lineburger and High School All-American Colby Miller ready the boat for launch.
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Elite Series pro Skylar Hamilton works on tackle to prepare for his day of fishing with High School All-American Dalton Combs of Missouri.
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Jared Lintner and Kyle Palmar shake hands before getting out on the water.
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Ocamica prepares his rods before the Bassmaster High School All-Americans launch on Lake Naconiche.
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Bassmaster High School All-American Reese Jones and his family meet with his partner for the day, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brett Preuett.
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Longtime Elite Series pro walks with High School All-American Jared Goebel of Texas.
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Klein and Goebel prepare for takeoff.
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Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brandon Palaniuk and High School All-American Oakley Connor prepare for their day.
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Elite Series pro David Williams and partner Perry Marvin of New York wait to head out on the lake.
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Hamilton and Combs ready to take off.
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Bassmaster Elite Series pro Bradley Roy and High School All-American Logan Parks take off on Lake Naconiche.
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Hamilton and Combs fish a stumpy area.
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Williams and Marvin work for a bite.
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Williams hooks into one and swings it onboard.
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Williams and Marvin weigh their bass and record its weight with a photo.
Each of the teams were able to count the heaviest single bass for the pro and the high schooler.
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Pennington makes a cast.
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And sets the hook!
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Pennington prepares to make another cast.
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Roy and Parks await a bite.
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Parks sets the hook.
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And, he's got one on the line!
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Hamilton and Combs make a run to their next spot.
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As it starts to rain, Marvin and Williams put on rain gear and keep fishing.
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Lintner and Palmer work for a bite.
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Palmer swings one onboard.
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Palaniuk and Connor work some stumps for a bite.
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Connor has got one one and reels it to the boat.
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Palaniuk celebrates Connors fish!
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They weigh the bass and document with a selfie.
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Klein and Goebel work a heavily wooded area.
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Klein sets the hook on a bite.
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And lands the fish!
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Klein points sometime out to Goebel.
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And, Goebel hooks up too!
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Goebel holds up his catch for the camera.
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Bassmaster Elite Series pro Koby Kreiger and High School All-American Cade Fortenberry work for a bite.
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Kreiger hooks into one.
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Fortenberry brings it in to get ready for a picture.
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Lintner and Palmer fish some vegetation close to shore.
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Palaniuk makes another cast and Connor works for a bite.
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Ocamica and Lubbat fish a wooded area.
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"I really learned a lot from Brett," said Jones of former College Classic qualifier, Preuett. "It was a blast!"
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Roy and Parks works for a bite.
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Lineburger and Miller enjoy their day out on the water.
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Bassmaster Elite Series pro James Niggemeyer and High School All-American Trace O'Dell fish some stump and the shoreline.
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Partners Ocamica and Lubbat take the stage at 2017 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The team weighed in 4 pounds, 8 ounces, for their two largest fish.
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Roy and Parks finished with 6 pounds, 3 ounces.
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Klein and Goebel weighed in a combined two-fish total of 7 pounds, 13 ounces.
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Pennington and Tacoronte finished with 7 pounds, 8 ounces.
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Kreiger and Fortenberry talk about their day, bringing 7 pounds, 2 ounces, to the scales.
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Williams and Marvin brought in a total of 5 pounds, 4 ounces.
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Lineburger and Miller took the stage to discuss their day and 9 pounds, 8 ounces, they brought to the scales.
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Hamilton and Combs weighed in 10-3, with a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass to anchor their total.
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Preuett and Jones took the stage to talk about their day.
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When Reese Jones of Rogers, Ark., received notice that he had been selected as one of 12 members of the 2017 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by DICK'S Sporting Goods, he was ecstatic. Winning the honor meant he would be able to fish with a Bassmaster Elite Series pro during a special tournament in conjunction with the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Then his mother, Cheri, broke the bad news. “I pointed out that Reese’s graduation was the same weekend, and of course he couldn't go to the tournament. At that point, both he and his father dropped their forks and said that he had to go to Texas."
Cheri was outvoted, and her son spent part of graduation weekend fishing Lake Naconiche, a trophy bass fishery near Nacogdoches, Texas. As a compromise, Cheri Jones acquired a cap and gown for Reese to wear as he crossed the weigh-in stage at the George H. Henderson Jr. Expo Center Saturday. He would only wear the cap, though.
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Lintner and Palmer took the stage to weigh in a total of 5 pounds, 3 ounces.
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NIggemeyer and O'Dell spoke about their day on the water and what it means to be a High School All-American.
"It means a lot to be named an All-American," O'Dell said. "There are thousands of kids across the nation that are in this sport now because it has expanded so much, and to be included in the Top 12 across the whole country is an honor in itself."
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The heaviest combined weight was turned in by the team of Oakley Connor of Travelers Rest, S.C., and Brandon Palaniuk.
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He and Connor weighed in 12 pounds, 3 ounces to top the 12-team field. Palaniuk had a 5-14, and Connor caught a 6-5.
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The 12 student anglers were selected for All-American honors by judges who reviewed more than 380 nominations from 40 states. The program, now in its third year, recognizes outstanding young anglers in grades 10 through 12 for excellence in bass tournament competition, leadership, community service and academics.
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