State angler earns Bassmaster High School All-American honor
Tyler Cory isn’t yet of legal voting age, but he’s already established a productive theme in his life.
“A lot of my best memories from being a little kid were being out in the boat, fishing,” the 17-year-old from Amherst said in a phone interview last week.
You can add a few recent events to that list, too.
On April 18, Cory was named one of 12 U.S. prep anglers on the 2019 Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. He’s the first Wisconsin fisherman to be selected for the honor.
And in May, Cory was invited to take part in a special Bassmaster High School All-American Bass Tournament held on Lake Quitman in Texas. It was Cory’s first time fishing in Texas, home to some of the best trophy bass waters in the nation.
While competing in the tourney May 4, he landed the biggest bass of his life, a 6 pound 11 ounce largemouth. Cory’s big bass, along with a 5-11 largemouth landed by his partner, pro bass fisherman Carl Jocumsen of Australia, earned the duo first place in the event.
It’s been quite a spring so far for Cory, a junior at Amherst High School. In addition to the All-American activities, he also qualified for and competed in a bass tourney on Lake Guntersville in Fifth turkey hunting period ends. May 22-28
Sixth turkey hunting period.
Musky season opens in northern zone.
Free fishing weekend Alabama.
Tyler Cory’s interest in fishing can be traced to his back yard. Shortly after his parents, Stevens Point natives Brian and Lisa, were married, they moved to a house on Lake Lime in Amherst.
The 48-acre water body has a nice population of warm water fishes, including, of course, largemouth bass, as well as bluegill and yellow bullheads.
Tyler Cory fished from shore, and later, from the family’s jon boat, casting for whatever would bite. The largemouths, though, particularly captured his interest.
About six years ago, Cory convinced his father to take him to a meeting of the Waupaca Bass Busters, a local fishing club, and then to enter a youth fishing event organized by the group.
“That was it, he was hooked,” Brian Cory said.
Tyler Cory became president of the Waupaca Bass Busters junior club, as well as founder of the Amherst High School fishing club.
Cory (and a partner) won three high school tournaments in 2018 in Wisconsin and had five other top-five finishes in tourneys.
More than 400 nominations from 35 states were submitted for the 2019 High School All-American team, according to B.A.S.S., the organization that runs Bassmaster events from professional series to college and high school.
Judges whittled down the list to develop all-state teams and then selected 12 for the All-American squad.
The 2019 Wisconsin Bassmaster High School All-State team featured Cory and Bailey Bleser of Burlington. Jacob Bigelow of Cecil and Mitchell Hammes of West Salem received honorable mention status.