Cole Rountree was recently featured in Bassmaster Magazine as one of twelve high school Top Anglers in the country.
Over 300 applications were submitted from 34 states this year, and of those, 47 students were chosen as Bassmaster All-State anglers. After considering tournament résumés, conservation efforts, community service activities and recommendations from school officials and coaches, a panel of judges consisting of representatives from the sportfishing industry, media and conservation groups further narrowed the field to the Top 12 high school anglers in the country.
Cole Rountree, a junior at South Lake High School, stays busy. He won two tournaments in the 2020 season, ten Top 5 finishes and seven Top 20 finishes. He has placed 5th place or higher in every tournament he has participated in during the 2020 and 2021 tournament seasons. In addition to his remarkable fishing abilities, he maintains a GPA of 4.65 and works on local community projects
The South Lake Tablet had an opportunity to speak with Cole about Goin’ Fishing.
COLE: I know I had a fishing pole in my hand as soon as I could walk, but of course that was using doughballs for bluegills. I didn’t start fishing competitively until about three years ago.
TABLET: Why did you take that next step and become a competitive angler?
COLE: It’s just something you get addicted to. There’s truly an adrenaline rush that you experience when you have a big fish on the line praying you can get it in the boat before he gets off the hook.
TABLET: Is fishing a sport that you need to practice, practice, practice or is it more of an instinct skill?
COLE: Not only does it require practice, it requires you to study the body of water being fished, know the current water and weather conditions and anticipate how that may change from day to day. It also requires you to know which bait will be best based on all of those conditions.
TABLET: What kind of fish do you catch and what is the biggest fish you caught?
COLE: When fishing, I typically like to target Largemouth Bass. My personal best Largemouth Bass is 8.75.
TABLET: What do you need to become a successful angler?
COLE: It’s like golf, you have to put in the work to be successful. While using a plastic worm will almost always catch fish, having the ability to use the right bait will set you apart when combining with the knowledge of the water and weather conditions.
TABLET: The average person has never been to a fishing competition. Can you briefly describe?
COLE: It’s being up early enough to be on the water before sunrise. Singing the National Anthem with 100 other boats. You’re randomly given a boat number that tells you when you will get released. They start at boat 1 and goes until they release all boats. This is for safety. Generally you want an early number so you can get to your favorite spot first. You then have to be back at weigh-In, where you bring the biggest 5 fish that you caught that day and hope they total the most. It is exciting when you have a big fish, but then have to wait to see if anyone is going to bring in a bigger bag.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of the South Lake Tablet?
COLE: While it’s very competitive, it’s also a great way to make some good friends who also enjoy fishing. It’s also a sport I can compete in for the rest of my life.
The 2021 All-American team has been invited to participate in an exclusive Bassmaster High School All-American Tournament, which will be held in conjunction with the 2021 Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake, scheduled to take place May 6-9 in Gadsden, Ala. Each All-American angler will be paired with an Elite Series pro for the one-day derby to be held on a nearby fishery.
See more by visiting Bassmaster
