Photo courtesy of Andy Thrower
The Vestavia Anglers recently competed at the Lake Wheeler tournament.
The Vestavia Anglers, representing Vestavia Hills High School, had an impressive showing at the Alabama Student Anglers Bass Fishing Association final tournament recently at Lake Wheeler in Decatur.
The team fielded six boats, led by juniors Emory Carver and Daniel Dillon, sophomores Anderson Thrower, John Paul Nelson, Sam Wisdom, Afid Khan, Miller Goggans, Owen Tidwell and Gibson Overby, and freshmen Wade Spooner, Cooper Moore and Rip Griffin.
The tournament began on Friday, May 10, under severe windy conditions. Despite the challenging weather, Thrower and Spooner excelled, catching 12.18 pounds of fish, securing a second-place finish out of 204 boats. Thrower also weighed in a largemouth bass at 4.94 pounds, earning recognition in the big fish category.
Saturday brought calm waters and better fishing conditions. Carver and Dillon led the team with a total catch of 16.11 pounds, finishing 19th overall. Thrower and Spooner followed closely, placing 23rd with 15.21 pounds. Other notable finishes included Wisdom and Khan in 51st, Goggans and John Nelson in 72nd, Griffin and Moore in 90th, and Tidwell and Overby in 158th.
The collective efforts of the Vestavia Anglers resulted in a fourth-place team finish for the Lake Wheeler tournament and a sevent-place overall finish for the 2024 ASABFA season. This marks the second consecutive year the Anglers have finished seventh overall, with aspirations of breaking into the top five in 2025.
Promisingly, the Vestavia Junior team, composed of eighth and ninth graders, won the Junior Division for the 2024 season, signaling a bright future for the Vestavia Anglers.
- Submitted by Andy Thrower
