The Bass Team recently competed against some of the best anglers in the area at a local tournament and out of all 450 teams that participated, LCM brought home first place.

Mauriceville Middle School students Kyler Herbert and Ryan Ford, along with boat captain James Herbert, reigned in 23 pounds of large mouth bass and received $2,000 in scholarship money.

A typical bass tournament is no small affair, as there have been up to 490 teams competing in one day. The team competes against anglers from other school districts all over Southeast Texas and parts of Louisiana. The objective is to catch the five largest bass in a window of approximately eight hours.

A typical competition day starts very early, long before daybreak. After more than 12 hours of fishing on the open water, anglers finish around 6 p.m. It is not easy to be involved in a tournament – it takes a lot of work, money, and preparation. It is not an activity where one can show up the day of and do well without previous training.

The LCM Bass Team, which has only been around for a few years, aims to show students what they may attain by the sport of fishing. There are many different types of students with many different backgrounds who are brought together to make up the club.

“We hope all anglers grow in knowledge of fishing, nature, science, graphics, and of course, friendship,” mother and bass team enthusiast Nellie Miller said.

At LCM, almost 100 students are members of Bass Team and males and females in grades 7-12 are allowed to participate. Bass Team is about competing against other teams consisting of two students and an adult boat captain. For more information on Bass Team, visit their Facebook Page. (https://www.facebook.com/lcmbassteam/) The next tournament will be held on April 16.