REGION CHAMPIONS: North Laurel Bass Fishing sending five teams to KHSAA State Bass Fishing Tournament

Les Dixon, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·4 min read

May 1—North Laurel High School's Bass Fishing Team brought home the Region 3 championship on Saturday after placing five teams in the top 19 which qualifies each of the five teams for the upcoming KHSAA Bass Fishing State Tournament.

The team of Matthew Hinkle and Joshua Cochran took home first place honors after finishing with a total of 16 pounds and 12 ounces. Cochran also won the Big Fish Award (five pounds, 10 ounces).

Carson Elza and Nick Davidson finished fourth with a total of 13 pounds and 12 ounces. Brayden Howard and Allie Burns turned in an eighth-place effort (13 pounds) while Caden Ayers and Trey Hensley followed in ninth place with 12 pounds and eight ounces. Brayden Asher and Jack Nicholson finished with a total of 11 pounds and five ounces, placing 12th overall while Blaine Smith and McGuire Day also participated in the event.

"Last year was the first year we didn't send a qualifying team to the state tournament since the beginning of KHSAA having this tournament in 2013, and we lost in a tie for the last spot to go," North Laurel coach Nathan Stewart said. "So our team goal all year was to get back to the state tournament. Our kids came together as a team to achieve this goal in a big way. I just can't say enough about our Boatcaptains, fishermen, and fisherwomen. It has been a great year."

Stewart said he had a good feeling about his team's chances of entering the tournament as long as the water or weather didn't change.

"Before it got dark on Wednesday afternoon, I had a few hours to fish," he said. "I went to a shallow pocket that has had fish in it before in years past, and the first spot I saw a three-pounder on the bed. After two flips I caught the fish. That evening at the hotel I told Coach Johnson, 'these kids are either going to win this thing big-time, or if the water or weather changes, we are in serious trouble because we have some of the best bed fishermen for their age that I have even been around.

"After a couple of days of searching for another pattern other than bed fishing with limited success," he added. "We were nervous leading up to the event because the water level was dropping and that can make bed fishing almost impossible but everything held up and the team delivered."

Despite seeing his teams succeed in the tournament, there were some nerve-racking times for North Laurel.

"Josh Cochran and Matthew Hinkle hammered them in the first couple of hours, catching their big fish, and the big fish of the tournament, weighing five pounds and 10 ounces," Stewart said. "At some point, they caught a fish and broke their rod. The reel came off the rod and got tangled up in a tree and still landed the fish.

"Then I got a phone call from their boat captain, Lloyd Cochran," he added. "They had trolling motor problems with some line caught up in the prop, and it tangled up and when they tried to fix it, the pin that holds the prop on fell into the lake, so at that point, they could not fish anymore. Coach Johnson came up with a quick fix and they were able to finish up their day and rounded out their limit, totaling 16 pounds and 12 ounces. This is Josh's second trip to the state tournament, and he has fished for us for four years, and Matthew's first year fishing for us."

Stewart said he was pleased to see the success of his team, and also added the future is bright for North Laurel.

"This is the most teams we have sent to the state in one year," he said. "Five of the 19 teams from Region 3 are North Laurel teams — finishing first, fourth, eighth, ninth, and 12th. We also won the team weight award by having the most weight as a team, which is cool and it highlights just how good these kids are.

"Out of the 12 kids, we are going to get seven of them back next year, so I am excited for the next couple of years because we have kids that love to fish and are very talented," Stewart added. "I would also like to thank all the sponsors for the North Laurel Bass Fishing Team, our administration for supporting us, the parents and the Boatcaptains, and I also would like to thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for his blessing and these kids' talents, and the opportunity to be apart of such a great group of folks."

South Laurel's Braydon Hodges and Trey Patternaster earned a state tournament bid by placing fifth overall with a total of 13 pounds and 10 ounces. The team of Landon Alexander and Cole Smith placed 21st (10 pounds, six ounces) while Wade Brock and Clay Bales (22nd, nine pounds, 10 ounces), Aaron Kilburn and Henry McWhorter (25th, nine pounds, one ounce), and Jaydon Jones and Lucas Campbell (48th, two pounds, nine ounces) followed.