A group of teens from around Idaho will cast their lines in C.J. Strike Reservoir this Sunday, in the hopes of catching the biggest fish. The fifth annual fishing competition is part of The Bass Federation’s youth programming.
Mark Gintert is the national director for the group, and says bass fishing is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. In places like Kentucky, bass fishing is a varsity sport where hundreds of high school kids compete. This weekend’s Idaho competition will have far fewer participants, but Gintert says that’s to be expected since it’s a not as well-established here.
“It just takes a little while to get it up and going," says Gintert. "It’s not as much of a tradition as it has been in the past but we’re making slow and steady progress and we look forward to Idaho gaining in numbers also.”
The kids will have about six hours to catch as many bass from the reservoir as possible. Then they’ll weigh the fish to figure out the winners, and the top 10 percent will move on to a conference championship. Gintert says there hasn’t been an Idaho winner, but national champions get a $5,000 scholarship.
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