Annual fishing tournament brings aspiring anglers to Carroll County

HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — Over the next two days, 62 teams will compete head-to-head to see who can catch the biggest bass fish.

“They’re aged second all the way to eighth grade actually, and they compete in their states to get to this point in the Junior Championship, and that’s what they’re doing. They’re battling it out to see who’s going to be able to call themselves Junior National Champions after tomorrow,” said Hank Weldon,Tournament Director for the Bassmaster College, High School and Junior Series.

There are 40 states represented at this year’s championships. Those teams are coming from Colorado, Maine, New York, Oklahoma, and more

Rihanna Switzer and Abigail Panak are a part of Team Pretty Water, one of only two girl teams in the entire tournament.

They say the perfect fish for the day would be about two and half pounds. They add that the competition is fun, and comes with a little pressure to prove that they fit in.

After a day of being on the water, the teams head back to the main area of the tournament to weigh-in their fish.

Teams will spend eight hours on the Carroll County Recreational Lake. Teams will choose their top five catches to weigh-in.

The final weigh-in will be Oct. 9 at 3:30 p.m. in Huntingdon. From there, the winning team will be announced and crowned as the 2021 National Junior Bassmaster.

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