Most of the time, when people think of fishing, they think of a relaxing, peaceful experience. But there is another side of fishing that many people don’t know about, and that is competitive fishing tournaments. 

Bass are one of the most popular fish to catch, and in some tournaments, you can win a lot of money, but it is also difficult to catch bass that will earn first place.

Senior Logan Baechle has been fishing for as long as he could remember.

“I first started fishing when I was around 4 years old,” Baechle said. “My dad was the one who brought me into it, and I’ve been hooked ever since.” 

Baechle is not your typical run-of-the-mill fisherman. He competes in bass fishing tournaments that reward very generously with not only money but sometimes even a boat. 

“I was in sixth grade when I entered into my first ever fishing tournament,” Baechle said. “I was pretty nervous but also very confident that I could compete with everyone else there as well.” 

For as long as Baechle has been fishing, it’d come sooner or later where he would catch the biggest fish of his life. 

“The biggest bass I ever caught was 7 lbs and 14 ounces. I caught it while I was on a fishing trip in Florida, and it was a moment I will never forget,”  Baechle said.

Since bass are known for putting up a fight, it was one of the most memorable fishing experiences of his life.

“Florida bass are different from the regular large-mouth bass so the fight was really difficult but incredibly rewarding,” Baechle said “It took me somewhere around five minutes to land it.”

For as long as Baechle has been fishing, he won’t be stopping anytime soon. 

“I’m going to continue to fish for as long as my body will let me,” Baechle said. “The words that I would use to describe fishing are fun, memorable, and difficult.”