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The Straughn Bass Fishing Team members fished their second tournament of the season Sunday, Sept. 30, on the Wiregrass Student Angler Trail. Due to Hurricane Helene that made landfall earlier in the week the chairmen of the trail decided to move the tournament from Saturday to Sunday to ensure the safety of the anglers and boat captains.

This tournament was on West Point Lake, in LaGrange, Georgia, which is surrounded by deep forests and rolling fields. West Point Lake is a man-made reservoir and is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and extends 35 miles along the Chattahoochee River on the Alabama-Georgia state line. The lake’s 525 miles of shoreline provide excellent opportunities for fishing. A dozen creeks and more than 40 square miles of lake provide plenty of good fishing spots for the thousands of anglers who fish here regularly. The lake abounds with bass, catfish, crappie and bream.

West Point Lake was a new lake to the Straughn Fishing team. The anglers were excited and ready to hit the water where 97 teams from different schools in Alabama launched at safe light.

Six out of the 8 teams on the bass team fished the tournament and all six teams weighed in fish. Each fish weighed in helps the individual teams gain points towards the Team of the Year, which is an award given at the end of the season to the team with the highest points.

Team Rex Burkett/Kal-El Savage fished in some difficult situations on Sunday starting out with boat problems. They finished in 3rd place with 11.77 pounds.

As the team continues their fishing season, they thank their sponsors for their contributions this season.  Without them it would not be possible. Sponsors for the Straughn Bass Fishing team are Andalusia Ford, Jade Homes, Covington County Commission, Omni Rentals, Casey Propane, Jon D. Ward, DMD, Wyatt Sasser Construction, Johnson & Associates, Pettis Trucking, Clem’s Tackle, Moore Builders, Civil Southeast, LLC, Andalusia Farmers Cooperative, SunSouth, LLC, Southern Independent Bank, Covington Electric Cooperative, Inc. Even with the generosity of the sponsors listed, the team still needs more help to carry them through the year.  If any individual or business is willing to help, please contact, Dawn Ray at 334-208-4928 or dawn.ray32@yahoo.com.

Coach Benji Wilson said, “Without the support of our local businesses and community we could not do what we are doing! Thank you to our parents who go above and beyond for our team and school, you make it work no matter what. We are truly blessed to be a part of something that is continually growing and changing and molding lives all along the way. It’s great to be a Straughn Tiger!”

The next tournament for the Straughn Bass Fishing team will be at Lake Demopolis, in Demopolis, Alabama, on October 19, 2024, on the Wiregrass Student Angler Trail.