Reid Brothers win big at Commissioner’s Cup Invitational
Dalton and Dakota Reid, brothers and current students at Magnet Cove High School, won top honors this past weekend at the 2023 Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Commissioner’s Cup High School Bass Fishing Tournament, presented by Xpress Boats and held Saturday, April 29 on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs.
Youth teams made up of two anglers, accompanied by a boat captain, took to the water to compete in two separate age divisions for prizes that include scholarship money, fishing gear and tackle, and bragging rights all year long. The top winners will also have their names highlighted on the coveted trophies and receive public recognition, in both this year’s AGFC Fishing Guidebook and at the 2023 Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet in August.
The Reid brothers finished 1st in the Senior (grades nine-12) category out of 36 teams, clinching the win with a total of 18.66 lbs. of fish in the bag. The Reid brothers also won the Big Bass Award with a single 6.94-lb. catch for the day.
“For winning first place, they received a $3000 scholarship, sponsored by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioners, Simms rain suits for both, a boat detailing from Mirrored Image Detailing in Benton, a pair of Bajio sunglasses for each, and over $2500 of additional baits and gear,” stated Tyler Lawrence, AGFF Director of Events & Programming. The winning team also won a guided fishing trip for two, donated by Arkansas native and Major League Fishing (MLF) winner, Scott Suggs.
“They will also be interviewed at our Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet on August 26th at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, and will have their names engraved on the Commissioners’ Cup Trophy, which is held at AGFC HQ,” Lawrence stated.
“For winning the Big Bass, their name will be put on the big bass trophy, also held at AGFC HQ in Little Rock,” he stated. The winning team also received an additional $2,000 in gear and prizes associated with the Big Bass Award win, including a $200 gift card to Bass Pro in Little Rock, sponsor of the Big Bass Trophy. The Reid brothers had to deal with a faulty bilge pump and an engine compartment full of water early in the competition, coming back to shore to fix the issue around 9:30 that morning before returning to the water and reeling in the win by the end of the day. They weighed in early after their haul and could barely contain their excitement as other teams were rewarded for their efforts, before officials called the brothers to the stage for the top honor. Dalton and Dakota have a lot of passion for the sport, which observers noted as the team took to the stage to accept the award recognition and all the fishing “swag”. Dakota said the scholarship money meant a lot to him, and Dalton said the award will go a long way toward getting him “headed in the right direction to what I want to do in the future,” namely, a career in sports media. “All the work has paid off, and it’s just, there’s not words for it,” Dalton said. Dalton also spoke about how thrilled he was for his older brother to win, in particular, and how happy he was that they could share this experience together. “Three years ago when we started this, I never thought that I would stand up here with my brother,” Dalton said. “It’s his Senior year, and all I wanted to do this year was to do something that we would never forget.” The following is a complete list of the winners from both divisions, along with their final tallies:
SENIORS DIVISION 2023
1. Dakota Reid / Dalton Reid, 18.66 lbs.
2. John Davis / Noah Yelich, 17.3 lbs.
3. Cole Martin / Josh Bowen, 13.78 lbs.
4. Aaron Gabe / Logan Lanier, 11.45 lbs.
5. Bryer Payne / Baylor Payne, 11.24 lbs.
6. Ethan Jones / Maverick Kester, 11.11 lbs.
7. Kaleb Snow / Griffen Ralph, 10.82 lbs.
8. Vaughn Greenway / Barrett Rush, 10.72 lbs.
9. Mark Wilson / Jackson Skaggs, 10.29 lbs.
10. Hunter Fowler / Jarvis Mccray, 10.21 lbs.
JUNIOR DIVISION 2023
1. Hunter Denton / Zane Cobb, 14.37 lbs.
2. Halton Howard / Garrett Westfall, 13.08 lbs.
3. Eli Kluthe/ Caiden Parson, 12.88 lbs.
4. Grayson Redleaf / Christian Dawson, 10.7 lbs.
5. Kasen Causey / Kayden Myatt, 10.07 lbs.
6. Luke Austin / Clay Austin, 9.92 lbs.
7. Bennett Bullard / Shad Mcclure, 9.9 lbs.
8. Henley Hayes / JC Freeman, 9.16 lbs.
9. Gricen Shelby / Kamden Green, 8.71 lbs.
10. Mason Watkins / Walker Woodall, 8.6 lbs.
More information about the annual event can be found on the AGFF website at https://www.agff.org/ commissionerscup. And be sure to check out a video of the awards portion of Saturday’s event, including an interview with Dalton, Dakota and several other teams who won prizes that afternoon, on the “Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation’s Commissioners Cup Invitational” Facebook page.