Lake Orange
Lake Orange, noted to be a tough lake due to all of the angler pressure it receives from fisherman from all over VA, gave up quite a few of its allusive bass this past weekend to the highly talented OCHS Anglers. Usually it is the young men coming to top off the scale but this weekend it was the young women who were also able to bring some lunkers to the scale.
On the Varsity level, the top total weights for a limit of 5 fish: was Franklin Marrs' bag of 7.60 lbs,and big fish of 1.75 lbs. Dylan McGhee's captured 2nd place with 5.95 lbs which included his big fish of 1.65 lbs. Third place went to Cierra Brickey's 4.75 lbs with only 2 fish. Cierra had the big fish of the tournament which weighed in at 4.75 lbs. Zack Mastin, with 4 fish totaled out with 3.20lbs. Logan Douglas placed 5th with 1 fish for 2.0 lbs.
On the JV Level, Marlee Dodson of Prospect first cast brought a lengthy 1.10 bass post spawn which was the top weight for the division. Anglers reported that most bass had left the flats and were in post spawn. The go to baits of the afternoon were plastics presentations of "wacky", "drop shot" and creature jigs.
Joeseph Thomson Memorial Tournament
1st place:
2nd Place: Madison Team of James Graves, boat Captain, Lucky Graves
3rd Place: Boat Captain Mike Hall, with youth anglers, Ryan Wilt, also captured big fish and Cierra Brickey
OCHS Angler Wins the Jr. World Classic
James Graves III, on left, represented, the OCHS Anglers, the Virginia Junior Bass Federation Nation and the Mid Atlantic states - Junior Bass Federation Nation, at the Junior World classic in Monroe, La. and wins big. Graves blew away the field on Bayou DeSiard in Monroe, La., with 5 pounds, 12 ounces, which was 3 pounds, 10 ounces better than his closest opponent in the 11- to 14-year-olds age division. Graves was the only angler in the field to bring in more than two fish, and he credits the cypress trees in the shade against the bank for his good fortune. He was fishing a shaky head slowly around the cypress trees, and the bass would just pick it up.
"I was catching them on almost every cast this morning," said Graves, a member of the Orange County High School Anglers in Virginia. "I caught about 10 today, but only four were keepers."
James has participated with the OCHS Anglers team as an associate member, since his home town of Madison, Va. has had no Junior Bass Federation Nation Program. Becky Gore, the OCHS youth advisor knew young Graves of Wetsel Middle School and now a freshman at Madison County High School. She taught both James' Mom, Missy and his Dad, Lucky during her tenure at Madison County High prior to teaching at Orange County High School. "I had watched young James fish the trout streams on his Granddad's (James Sr.) farm resort,and recognized quickly his natural talent." say Gore, "Also some of the locals, she says, call him "The Fish Whisper"'.
Last year at the OC Fishing and Sportsman Show, Gore spoke with Lucky and James about fishing with the OCHS Angler's Program. Gore says " I wanted James to have the chance to fish competitively and also to encourage Lucky to start a similar program in Madison County." James' parents would bring him to meet Gore at her home in Madison, and travel with her to the tournaments. "Having the opportunity to talk with him on the way to tournaments, I could see that James was outgoing, not a bit shy and could be quite the competitor." says Gore. She linked him up with the OCHS Angler, President Devon Bowling, who helped James feel comfortable with this new group of peers. James won his first tournament at Lake Orange, and went on to do well in all of the following chapter tournaments. James then fished his first Junior State Qualifier at Lake Anna in June 2011 and in this tournament James won a spot in the July 2011, Junior State Classic- held on Buggs Island. At the JSC, Graves won his age division and was eligible to advance with the adult Bass Federation Nation- Va. state team to fish the Delaware River in the Mid Atlantic Regional tournament. Again his strong performance in this tournament allowed him to advance to the World Classic. James had only one day of practice on the Bayou DeSiard. Volunteer anglers from University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) team were the boat captains for the young competitors. "I would have fished the same stuff James did," said Nick LaDart, Graves' driver. "He really adapted today from the cloudy conditions in practice yesterday. He did great." James will receive a $5,000 scholarship for college, and a 16 foot, Triton bass boat.
October 9, 2011
Click here to view or print the revised B.A.S.S. Federation Nation of VA Tournament Results for the 2012 JSQ #1 Northern Division - Aquia Creek
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Devon Bowling received the State Jr. Angler of the Year award and a $500 college scholarship from the State BFN-VA. He also received the Joseph Thomson Memorial Scholarship of $500. The scholarship is given by the Thomson Family to an OCHS graduating senior angler.
OCHS Anglers continue their winning streak and retain the JWT - 6 Man Team Trophy for the 5th straight year and win the state championship for the 8th time.
Tyler Covington, Franklin Marrs, Dylan McGhee and JV angler Robert Kloby qualified for the July 2012 Jr. Va. Jr. BFN Classic.
Tyler Pritt qualifies for the TBF - Jr. State Championship at Buggs to be held in May. He was the top individual for OCHS at the Gaston Tournament with 5lbs.
The OCHS Anglers - 6 Man Team placed 3rd in the TBF - State Champion 6 Man Team tournament on Lake Gaston.
OCHS Anglers Capture State High School Student Angler Championship
The combined efforts of 4 Orange County High School Angler Teams, consisting of two anglers, each captured the Virginia State High School Fishing Championship sponsored by The Bass Federation of Virginia. The Tournament was held at Buggs Island, Boyton, Va. May 21. This was a Dual tournament of teams from North Carolina and Virginia. Buggs Island is a new lake for the OCHS Team and the members did extremely well in their pre-fish evaluation. Dylan McGhee, freshman captured the big fish of the tournament, a 4.66 black bass. He and his partner Franklin Marrs, total weight was 8.46, which tied with the total bag weight of the Steve Mundell and Michael Sidle. The Kasey Henshaw and Austin Clore Team contributed 5.93 lbs. The team of Devon Bowling and Austin Mitchell had a total weight of nearly 10 lbs., but due to a 9 minute late penalty, to the weigh in, were only able to contribute, .06 lbs.
