3 Packer bass fishing teams qualify for state championship

Published 7:47 pm Thursday, April 20, 2023

By Wayne Grandy
wayne.grandy@gaflnews.com

MOULTRIE — For the first time, the Colquitt County bass fishing program will send three of its two-man teams to compete for a state championship.

Hayden Glass and Andrew Stanford weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces last Saturday at Lake Hartwell at Tugaloo Park to advance to the GHSA’s state bass fishing championship to be held May 20, at Clarks Hill Lake.

The pair will join the Packer teams of Jake Wilkes and Joseph Jackson and Jacob Brightwell and Hardin Roberts who had qualified earlier in the season.

Brightwell and Roberts qualified at the first regional tournament on Jan. 21, at Lake Seminole.

Wilkes and Johnson punched their ticket on Feb. 18, at Lake Oconee.

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GHSA holds four qualifying tournaments leading up to the state championship.

This year’s state championship will be the third hosted by the GHSA and Brightwell has qualified all three years.

In both 2021 and 2022, he teamed with Hunter Horne.

Wilkes and Roberts will be making their second trips to the state championships.

The two teamed up to qualify last year.

After holding its first championship at Lake Lanier in 2021, the GHSA moved the event to Clarks Hill last year and will take it there again next month.

Clarks Hill, located in Lincoln County outside Augusta, is 71,000 acres.

“It is so big,” Colquitt County coach Will Stuckey said. “There are so many places to fish.”

Stuckey said Wilkes and Johnson and Brightwell and Roberts have already fished Clarks Hill this year.

“That’s going to help them find more spots,” Stuckey said.

Wilkes and Johnson are coming off a 19th-place finish at Lake Hartwell with 10 pounds, 7 ounces.

Bay Ricks and Zach Faircloth had five fish weighing 7 ponds, 14 ounces.

Parker May and Turner McDaniel had three fish weighing 4 pounds, 7 ounces.

“They really did well,” Stuckey said of his team. “I’m proud of them.

“It was good to see. A majority of them came in with fish. They are learning how to lake fish. It’s a lot different that pond fishing.”

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