High schools across Louisiana can now form teams for a new prep sport... bass fishing.
It comes after the Louisiana High School Athletics Association approved it as a trial sport.
LHSAA Assistant Executive Director Adam MacDowell says 173 schools in the state said they wanted to see fishing as an official sport.
“You have can have up to six boats per school, two anglers per boat, and four anglers registered per boat, but you can only have two fishing on there at one time, so you would have to go back drop to kids off, pop two on, go back out there fishing,” he explained.
MacDowell hopes it can help build school pride around fishing and get more kids involved in a high school sport.
“Hopefully they can hoist that trophy up next to their football trophy and their basketball trophy, so that those kids who have not had an opportunity to participate on a sports team for their school will have an opportunity to.”
The plan is to have four large regional tournaments in March, and a two day state championship event April 3rd and 4th next year.