Colin Steck and Nathan Lorenz keep reeling in the titles.

The Waunakee duo brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday, weighing 13 pounds, 3 ounces, to win the 2016 TBF/FLW High School Fishing Wisconsin State Championship on the Minocqua Chain of Lakes.

The win earned the team trophies, the title of state champion and advanced the team to the High School Fishing Central Conference championship Sept. 23 and 24 on the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Seventeen teams competed in the tournament, which launched from launched from Beacons Lakefront Resort.

Steck and Lorenz won the Wisconsin title lst year before winning the Central regional in Illinois en route to a 10th-place showing in the national championship in Missouri.

This time around, the boys finished with five bass weighing 25 pounds, 6 ounces.

Hunter Schekler and Dylan Yeomans finished well back in second with five bass at 11-2. Third place went to Nate Farrell and Kiegan Redenius of Janesville Craig, who caught five fish that weighed 9 pounds, 5 ounces.

The 2016 Wisconsin State High School Fishing Championship was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12. The top 10 percent from each TBF/FLW state championship field advance to a High School Fishing conference championship along with the top three teams from each of the seven TBF/FLW High School Fishing Opens held this season.

The top 10 percent of each conference championship field will then advance to the High School Fishing National Championship, coinciding with the TBF National Championship and an FLW Tour stop in the spring of 2017.

The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.

In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2016 High School Fishing World Finals. At the 2015 World Finals more than $20,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded. Visit http://www.HighSchoolFishing.org for details.

 

Water levels around the state are slowly leveling off after several rain and storm events over the last several days and the previous weekend. Some waters, such as the Brule and Flambeau rivers, still remain at levels above average and both forests report heavy canoe and kayak usage. However, water levels in the lower Wisconsin River are finally starting to come back down.

Trollers out of most southern Lake Michigan harbors had a great weekend with success catching many chinook, many coho, some rainbows and a few lake trout. A kayak angler out of McKinley landed three kings up to 7 pounds within an hour last week. Pier and shore fishing remained slow even though alewife numbers are dropping. The yellow perch season opened June 16 on Lake Michigan, but perch fishing has been slow along the Milwaukee shoreline.

In the north, lake water levels on many lakes in the Vilas, Oneida and Sawyer county areas remain high. Fishing has slowed a bit with the recent hot weather, but anglers were still reporting good action drifting and trolling for walleyes, as well as fishing for smallmouth. Musky anglers are reporting an increasing in the top-water bite. In central Wisconsin, elevated streams are improving trout fishing conditions.

Anglers off of Peshtigo Harbor in Marinette have been landing walleye and catfish. The walleye bite along the west shore of Green Bay has continued to be good from the Pensaukee to Oconto. With the warm weather later in the week, boating pressure in the lower bay was high and walleye anglers had to work for their fish this week.

Along Door County, south winds and rough waters made it rough early in the week but as the conditions improved, fishing pressure increased on both sides of the Door peninsula and anglers were having success catching bass and walleyes on the bay side and trout and salmon on the lake side. Fishing pressure has been increasing with walleye anglers filtering into the area to pre-fish for an upcoming walleye tournament. Reports out of Baileys Harbor are showing that more kings are being caught than rainbows, so that bite is starting to ramp up.

Mosquito and deer flies are out but some areas are reporting that so far — knock on wood — they have not been as bad as some recent years.

On the Internet: www.dnr.state.wi.us/

Solunar tables

The Solunar Tables list top fishing times and days in the lunar month. For best results, begin fishing one hour before and continue for one hour after the times given:

Sunday, June 26: Major — 4:47 a.m., 5:12 p.m. Minor — 11 a.m., 11:25 p.m.

Monday: Major — 5:40 a.m., 6:05 p.m. Minor — 11:53 a.m., no p.m.

Tuesday: Major — 6:31 a.m., 6:57 p.m. Minor — 12:18 a.m., 12:44 p.m.

Wednesday: Major — 7:20 a.m., 7:47 p.m. Minor — 1:07 a.m., 1:34 p.m.

Thursday: Major — 8:09 a.m., 8:37 p.m. Minor — 1:55 a.m., 2:23 p.m.

Friday: Major — 8:59 a.m., 9:28 p.m. Minor — 2:45 a.m., 3:13 p.m.

Saturday: Major — 9:51 a.m., 10:20 p.m. Minor — 3:36 a.m., 4:05 p.m.

Solunar Tables from www.anythingwisconsin.com

Flounders Chowder House on Pensacola Beach will be the site for the Pensacola Bud Light Fishing Rodeo this weekend. It’s basically three tournaments in one with a rodeo, inshore challenge and a king mackerel challenge sanctioned by the Southern Kingfish Association.

The festivities will kick off Friday with a captain’s meeting for all participants. The registration tent will be open from 5 to 9 p.m., while dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m., and the rules will be reviewed at 7 p.m.

First-, second- and third-place prizes will be award for 20 different inshore and offshore species in the general rodeo, with each winner taking home a rod and reel in addition to a long list of other prizes.

Anglers competing in the Academy Sports Junior Rodeo will be divided into two groups, 10 years old and younger and 11-16. There will be 84 different junior angler spots to win. A full list of species can be found on the tournament website.

Entry into the rodeo is $30 per person, and four junior anglers 16 and younger may fish for free with each paid rodeo entry. If you’re interested in competing for some nice cash prizes you can enter the inshore challenge for $300 or king mackerel challenge for $350.

For those who want to watch the anglers bring in their catch, the weigh-in will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday and 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Rodeo tickets and brochures are available at Gulf Breeze Bait and Tackle. For more details on the tournament or to sign up online, go to pensacolafishingrodeo.com.

Next weekend, anglers will compete in the 45th annual Pensacola International Billfish Tournament put on by the Pensacola Big Game Fishing Club. Since 1970, the tournament has become a tradition in downtown Pensacola.

The captains meeting will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Sanders Beach Community Center, and boats will be allowed to depart at 4 p.m. Thursday.

This is a great event for spectators, and the weigh-in will take place from 5-8 p.m. July 1 and from 3 until all boats are weighed July 2. The entry fee is $1,300 per boat, and anglers will be fishing for blue marlin, tuna, wahoo and dolphin.

More information about the event can be found on the Pensacola Big Game Fishing Club’s website at pbgfc.com or by calling (850) 453-4638.

Florida remains number one in the nation in revenue and jobs supported by recreational saltwater fishing. The data, released by NOAA Fisheries, measures the economic impact of commercial and recreational saltwater fishing activities and fishing-related industries across the nation. According to the report, which covers the most recent data up to 2014, Florida is number one in the nation in jobs supported by the recreational saltwater fishing industry at 114,898.

“I am proud to announce that Florida is leading the nation in jobs supported by the recreational saltwater fishing industry,” said Gov. Rick Scott. “Our state’s world class boating and fishing also helped attract a record 105 million tourists in 2015, and we are on track for a sixth consecutive record year ... I encourage all Florida residents and visitors to … enjoy our great outdoors and see for themselves why Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World.”

“I would like to thank Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature for recognizing the important role that Florida’s recreational saltwater fishing has on our economy,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Executive Director Nick Wiley. “FWC is glad that Florida’s economy gets an important boost and many jobs are supported when Floridians and visitors enjoy a great fishing adventure.”

Florida is also among the top in the nation when it comes to dollars and jobs generated by the commercial fishing industry. According to the report, Florida’s commercial seafood industry is third in the nation in numbers of jobs supported with 92,858 jobs in 2014. Florida is also second in the nation when it comes to highest sales, income and value-added impacts from the commercial industry with 18.3 billion in sales impacts. The state is also number one in the nation when it comes to sales, income and value added dollars. The recreational saltwater fishing industry contributed more than $7.9 billion to the state’s economy in 2014. Florida is also number one in number of trips taken by anglers at nearly 25 million. Florida’s freshwater fisheries also supports another 14,000 jobs and has an additional $1.7 billion economic impact.

Learn more about the NOAA report at st.nmfs.noaa.gov. To locate fishing sites, identify recreational species and find fishing tips, see takemefishing.org.

Let me check the calendar, barely mid-June, so why do the fish think we are in the summer doldrums?

Surf and sound temperatures are moderate, normal for mid-June, so where are the fish? That being said, I’ll give the good news first. The offshore dolphin and wahoo bites are still excellent, and the bite has moved closer and closer to the beach, with catches as close as 15 miles from the beach.

Want a fight on your hands? Amberjacks, or reef donkeys, are just a few miles out to sea at areas like the Hutton and 13-Buoy. Want another fight on your hands? Sharks are everywhere and they are not quitters. Many of the sharks are around the wrecks and reefs, or you can drop a line around any of the menhaden bait balls. In those bait balls you can also find red drum and still some cobia, but the cobia bite is winding down and moving north.

The Spanish mackerel continue to bite inshore in 25 to 40 feet of water, but the big fish are still concentrated around the Cape Lookout Shoals.

And of course there are bluefish in the mix too. Not in the mix are king mackerel, neither along the beach nor on our ocean fishing piers, both here on Bogue Banks or down at

Nearshore the flounder are still abundant, with a mix of summer and Gulf flounder on any of the reefs, wrecks and rock ledges. Some of the popular locations are the artificial reefs, like AR 315, 320, 330, 342 and 345, as well as the rock ledges like Keypost, Station, Lost Rock and Southeast Bottoms.

Live bait or bucktails tipped with Berkley Gulp! shrimp are proven killers. Speaking of killers, the giggers are still way out-fishing hook-and-liners in the inside waters, but the flounder bite is picking up.

The best bites inside are red red drum from Swansboro to the New River and that includes the White Oak River, where I will be getting my kayak wet this week. I will be working the Croatan area off VFW Road, just north of the Emerald Isle Bridge, one of my favorite kayak put-ins. In the Neuse River, there are drum, some speckled trout and around New Bern the striper bite is still excellent. For a great time, try top-water baits for the drum and stripers.

One inshore bright spot is the sheepshead, which are being caught by the faithful sheepshead fishermen in good numbers. Sand fleas, fiddler crabs and sea urchins are baits of choice.

The right location is the key to finding sheepshead. They are almost strictly hard structure oriented. The rock jetties, docks and structure around Radio Island, the high-rise and causeway bridges around Atlantic Beach and Morehead City, the Emerald Isle bridge and of course the White Oak River bridge complex in Swansboro. I have also caught nice sheepshead, weighing up to six pounds on live shrimp.

The surf fishing is not so good. I’m sure some of you have seen my Bogus Jeep-mobile from Bogue to Beaufort Inlets and many locations in-between. However, my miles-to-fish ration (both on car and on foot) is asymptotically approaching zero, and I’m not counting the drag stretching lizard fish or the throwback flounder.

Almost no blues, Spanish or reds have found my hook and heaven forbid I land a keeper flounder. I have heard of a very few scattered (I know that’s redundant) reds and some numbers of black drum. There are certainly plenty of mole crabs (sand fleas) from one end of the island to the other.

Now for the fishing pier doldrums. None of the piers reported any big fish this week.

Anglers fishing from the Bogue Inlet Fishing Pier in Emerald Isle have been catching blues early and late in the day, small croakers, small spots, short flounder and scattered sea mullet.

This week of course is the 58th Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. There are 172 boats registered. If you get a chance go down to the Big Rock Landing and watch the weigh-ins.

(Richard “Dr. Bogus” Ehrenkaufer of Emerald Isle is on the radio every Monday morning at 7:30 a.m. on WTKF 107.1 FM and 1240 AM. Call him at (252) 354-4905.)

Jackson County won’t officially become the North Carolina Trout Capital this year, but legislators expressed their support of the county’s angling opportunities by declaring it the state’s Premier Trout Fishing Destination on Wednesday, June 1, in Raleigh. “It’s part of our heritage and it’s key to our economy. I’m all for supporting it,” Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, said of the designation. 

Jackson County had originally rolled out its proposal to be named the state’s trout capital in late April, with the idea that the local delegation could introduce a bill making the designation official oncethe  session opened days later. 

What they hadn’t banked on, though, was discovering that because this year is the legislature’s short session that type of bill would not be able to make it to the floor until the long session next year. 

“That sort of threw us for a curve,” said County Commission Chairman Brian McMahan. 

However, Jackson’s bid for trout capital still has the support of local legislators, and county leaders are hopeful it will come to fruition next year. 

“We’re excited and optimistic, and look forward to branding Jackson County as the Premier Trout Fishing Destination in the state, and ultimately the Trout Capital. This adds credibility to the success of the WNC Fly Fishing Trail, and provides additional opportunities for fishing and accommodation packages, retailers’ and outfitters’ expansion of offerings, and potentially a new festival for our region,” said Julie Spiro, executive director of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.  

Jackson County, which contains 4,600 miles of trout streams, receives an annual stocking of 92,800 trout — the most of any county in the state. It has the longest contiguous stretch of N.C. Mountain Heritage Trout Waters, with three of the 13 towns in the state bearing that name located in its borders — Sylva, Dillsboro and Webster.

County leaders are hopeful that a designation as trout capital would only bolster what is already an important industry for the area. A 2009 study from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission found that trout fishing has a $146 million annual impact on the 24 western counties, supporting 1,997 jobs and providing $56 million in income. 

“Jackson County deserves this trout capital,” said Commissioner Charles Elders. 

Guides for the WNC Fly Fishing Trail are available through 828.586.2155. 

www.nctroutcapital.com.

Auburn University fishermen Cole Burdeshaw (right) of Headland and Mitchell Jennings of Lanett teamed to win the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship on May 27. It was the Auburn bass fishing team's first national title.

 

The accomplishments for Cole Burdeshaw of Headland in the sport of fishing over the past 12 months are somewhat staggering.

“It’s been a heck of a year – it really has,” Burdeshaw said. “Honestly, this is only the end of my third year in the sport and I’ve just submerged myself in it as much as I can.”

The impressive run on the waters began in May of 2015 when Burdeshaw and Headland High School Bass Team fishing partner Jacob Hartzog won the Alabama BASS National High School Trail State Championship title on Lake Eufaula.

Burdeshaw continued the good work by being named Angler of the Year for the Auburn University Bass Fishing Team as a freshman following his accomplishments during the fall season in the club sport. He became one of 12 team members chosen to compete in national qualifiers during the spring season.

It culminated on May 27 when Burdeshaw teamed with Mitchell Jennings to win the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Cabela’s on Pickwick Lake in north Alabama. It’s the first national championship for the Auburn Bass Fishing team.

“It’s a huge deal,” Burdeshaw said. “Really, it’s a win not just for us, but for the whole team and all the guys who have come through Auburn before because we’ve never had a national championship winner and we’ve had so many great anglers come through.”

Burdeshaw and Jennings, a junior from Lanett, combined for a two-day weight total of 44.21 pounds to defeat a duo representing Louisiana State at Shreveport (38.58). There were 160 two-man teams entered in the two-day tournament.

After a first day catch of 21.56, Burdeshaw and Jennings found themselves in third place behind teams from LSU and the University of Alabama.

But it would be the final catch on the second day of competition that would ultimately prove to be the winner for the Auburn fishermen. Each team submits its five top catches of the day.

“It was about maybe 1 o’clock and you come in at around 2:30 or 3,” Burdeshaw said. “We knew the LSU team was struggling a little bit because we saw them.

“We pulled up on our last spot and caught a six-pounder on something we hadn’t caught a fish on all week – it was just a finesse tactic. We weighed in nine fish on one bait (during the two-day tourney), and one fish on another. And that one fish was our kicker – your biggest fish in the bag.”

The Auburn duo felt good at that point about their chances.

“We knew right then,” Burdeshaw said. “We came in about 30 minutes early because we didn’t want any boat malfunctions to cost us or any fish to die.”

Before the tournament began, Burdeshaw and Jennings were confident about their chances following four days of practice on the lake.

“People look at me like I’m crazy when I say this, but we didn’t make but maybe 10 or 15 casts our whole four days of practice,” Burdeshaw said. “We knew the only way you can catch a winning bag is an off-shore bite – not relating to any bank structure – because the Tennessee River has a lot of current.”

So instead of casting, they turned to technology with digital maps to find the schools of fish.

“You idle and scan with sonar and fish finders,” Burdeshaw said. “We were scanning for 12 to 14 hours per day. When you see them on your unit, you know they are there and there’s no sense making a cast on them.

“We had four days of practice and I took my boat and my partner took his boat and we covered the entire area we wanted to focus on.

“We knew we were on the winning schools. We knew the tournament was going to be won off the schools we found, if that makes sense? We knew that other people had found them, too.”

So they got their strategy in place, which was a bit different than most.

“A lot of people pull up to their school – you have it marked on your unit – and would idle over them and check and see if they (fish) were there and then turn around and cast on them,” Burdeshaw explained. “We didn’t do that. We would pull up and cast on them without idling over them.

“What we figured out is everybody went through the four days of practice and these fish had been pressured for four to five days extremely hard with so many boats over the top of them. And your prop wash coming out of your boat actually goes down a long way into the water. So what we figured was going on, is whenever a boat went over them, they got used to a boat going over them and they scattered everywhere.

“The right situation for us was we had to pull up without another boat really sitting on top of them, or either it had been a while since they idled them, and we would pull up and catch one.”

Burdeshaw and Jennings stuck to their game plan.

“It was a really relaxing kind of a feel knowing that we were on the right pattern and it’s either going to happen or it isn’t,” Burdeshaw said. “You’ve got to put yourself in position and pray that it works.

“That’s what it was for us. We put ourselves in position and we needed a couple of key breaks and that happened.”

A camera crew from NBC Sports was with Burdeshaw and Jennings on the final day for a television show that is scheduled to air at some point in August.

“It was kind of nerve-racking,” Burdeshaw said. “The whole deal about the sport being calm mentally and not making bad decisions and not getting frustrated – it’s hard to do when you’ve got so much pressure on you. The little things are what usually break you in the sport, not the big things.”

The Auburn fishermen stayed focused and completed their mission.

“We watched everybody weigh in and we knew not a lot of big bags had come in,” Burdeshaw said. “We’re sitting right beside the other four in the top five, and that’s when we started realizing that we had a shot – that it was about to happen for us.”

This past week, Burdeshaw was back on the waters in a different role. He served as a boat captain for the Headland High team of Aaron Cherry and Peyton McCord as they competed and finished second in the state tournament on Lake Wheeler.

“They are some of my best friends and I wanted to give back while I could,” Burdeshaw said. “It was a really good feeling knowing we won the tournament last year and to go to a lake that none of them had ever been to before and to really defend our title well and place second overall, it felt just amazing.

“The Headland team is something that’s always going to be very important to me.”

Burdeshaw has a goal of one day becoming a professional fisherman. Owning a national title certainly has him heading in the right direction.

“It’s nice to have it on my resume at such a young age,” he said. “I still haven’t let it sink in that I won it at the end of my freshman year.

“It’s been an amazing ride, and I’m hoping it’s just the beginning, really.”

Follow Jon Johnson on Twitter @eaglesportsed