PARK FALLS, WIS. (September 19, 2025) – Collegiate and highschool bass fishing have exploded in reputation over the previous decade. The Scholar Angler Federation estimates there are over 2,500 highschool bass groups or golf equipment within the U.S. taking part of their applications, and roughly 45,000 lively college students in these golf equipment, circuits, and regional trails. Some sources estimate the existence of as many as 1,200 extra groups and aggressive golf equipment on the collegiate stage.
One can’t argue with the outcomes. Youthful and youthful anglers are constantly incomes high finishes on the planet’s most prestigious skilled bass-fishing tournaments.
Easton Fothergill is a 2024 graduate of the College of Montevallo, the place he competed for 4 years and received the 2023 Bassmaster Faculty Traditional Bracket. Simply over a yr later, he received the 2025 Bassmaster Traditional. The Bassmaster Elite Sequence, alone, is riddled aggressive anglers of their twenties, most of which gained precious match expertise fishing competitively in highschool and/or faculty. In Texas alone, the Texas Excessive Faculty Bass Affiliation reviews having over 200 totally different highschool groups, the biggest of which having as many as 90 or extra workforce members.
Mark Hooker has coached and coordinated a kind of applications for the previous 13 years.
The Montgomery ISD Fishing Group is fed by two totally different excessive faculties and is likely one of the largest and most profitable applications within the Texas Excessive Faculty Bass Affiliation. Even with the assist of an lively booster membership, Hooker says finite sources are essentially the most difficult a part of working a profitable program. “We’ve had round 90 younger anglers on our groups lately,” Hooker says. “It’s not simple getting all these youngsters constantly onto boats to apply, a lot much less compete. You will have journey logistics and prices, meals and lodging, and they should have all of the rods, reels, line, lures, and different deal with, as properly. Coaches and workforce coordinators should be inventive at occasions, and also you want all the assistance and assist you possibly can drum up.”
Hooker says the St. Croix Rod and SEVIIN Reels Scholastic Applications have been a major assist. “Large, large, large,” he says. “I imply that. St. Croix has been with us because the starting, and it’s been the best possible approach to get the amount of high quality gear my youngsters can compete and win with into their fingers. However the really wonderful factor is that these applications can be found to any workforce that asks. You simply should ship a common inquiry e-mail to advertising@stcroixrods.com asking for particulars on the St. Croix and SEVIIN Scholastic Applications, and inside a pair days they get again in contact with the following steps. You ship them your roster and so they’ll present order codes for as much as 5 rods and 5 reels for each child in your workforce. Are you kidding me? With out this program, most of my youngsters are going out and shopping for no matter sub-par rods and reels they’ll discover on sale.” St. Croix Rod and SEVIIN Reels’ assist of highschool and collegiate angling extends past their Scholastic Applications. An offshoot of the well-established Bass Federation, the Scholar Angler Federation (SAF) is the main group offering sources, assist, and alternatives for highschool anglers. St. Croix Rod has been a long-time supporter of the SAF.
Practically 400 highschool groups from 40 totally different states not too long ago competed within the SAF’s 2025 sixteenth Annual Excessive Faculty Fishing World Finals and Championship on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. On the ultimate day of the occasion – St. Croix Rod and SEVIIN Reels Day – solely one of many 62 anglers who made the minimize to fish on Championship Saturday would win, however every would obtain a St. Croix Rod and a SEVIIN Reel.
“Scholastic fishing applications present large progress alternatives for the 1000’s of younger individuals who take part,” says St. Croix Vice President of Advertising, Jesse Simpkins. “St. Croix and SEVIIN have made it a unbroken precedence to assist these anglers and groups instantly by our Scholastic Program, in addition to on the organizational stage by donations to Scholar Angler Federation. We commend all the organizers, coaches, and volunteers who commit the time and sources essential to create alternatives for these scholar athletes to develop, compete, and make fishing part of their life-style, in addition to the opposite firms and {industry} representatives who donate to or in any other case assist scholastic angling and scholar anglers.”
For extra data on the St. Croix and SEVIIN Scholastic Applications, please e-mail advertising@stcroixrods.com.
About St. Croix RodHeadquartered in Park Falls, Wisconsin, St. Croix has been proudly crafting the “Finest Rods on Earth” for over 75 years. Combining state-of-the-art manufacturing processes with expert craftsmanship, St. Croix is the one main producer to nonetheless construct rods fully from design by manufacturing. The corporate stays family-owned and operates duplicate manufacturing amenities in Park Falls and Fresnillo, Mexico. With in style trademarked collection resembling Legend®, Legend Xtreme®, Avid®, Premier®, Imperial®, Triumph® and Mojo, St. Croix is revered by all sorts of anglers from around the globe. The St. Croix Household of Manufacturers consists of St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, and Rod Geeks. About SEVIIN ReelsWherever and nevertheless you fish, the reel in your hand ought to assist create higher experiences. Born from St. Croix Rod’s seven a long time of design and manufacturing experience, industry-leading customer support, and unbroken non-public possession by the Schluter household courting again to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to assist anglers conquer each species on every bit of water on the planet. SEVIIN focuses on reels and reels solely, designing and advertising merchandise that enhance the angling expertise, whatever the rods anglers select. Seven seas, seven continents, seven days per week, SEVIIN reels are fueled by a collective love of fishing surpassed solely by a ardour to ship essentially the most dependable reels on the water. The St. Croix Household of Manufacturers consists of St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, and Rod Geeks.
