ANGLING TO LEARN GROW AND
Blue Devil Bass Club competes in youth tournament
The Blue Devil Bass Club, a bass fishing club for Model’s middle and high school students, had a big day at Lake Guntersville recently.
Club members participated in the Mountain Valley Youth Angler Tournament Trail. The BDBC had seven teams represented in the tournament.
The club’s coach, Sam Couch, said this is their third year competing and the first year they’ve been eligible to compete in the GHSA.
Club members participate in area tournaments. Each boat has to have an adult captain and two high school anglers per boat.
“The captain can’t fish,” Couch said. “They just drive the boat and help the kids out by putting them in a good spot. But the kids do all the fishing.”
The Blue Devil Bass Club has 21 members from 6th-12th grade.
Couch said not only does the club provide students with the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the outdoors, it also teaches them valuable lessons about character and competition.
“Just like in any sport, these kids learn the ups and downs that go along with competition,” Couch said. “They learn the difficulties and the joys. They’re learning about teamwork and dealing with adversity but continuing to try even if things don’t always go your way.”
“Bass fishing is a lot like golf or tennis,” he added. “You hold yourself to the rules. Everything’s on the honor system. These kids are out here learning to compete and to play fair.”
Knox Nolan is a member of the club who loves to fish and was excited when he learned Model had a bass fishing team he could join as a middle schooler. This is his second year fishing with the team and said he loves the opportunity to travel to different lakes and fish competitively against others his own age as well as against high schoolers.
Couch would like to thank Mountain Valley Youth Angler Association for its efforts in providing events in which young people can compete.
“That’s the club that we fish in,” he said. “They organize tournaments for us to participate in and we get to compete against schools from all across North Georgia including Chattooga and Trion.
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