Starting next year, student anglers will have the opportunity to join newly hired history teacher Jason Scoggins’ Hornet Bass Team, which will be Scoggins’ third year to sponsor a fishing club.
“I fish a lot of bass tournaments, and bass fishing is the fastest growing sport in colleges,” Scoggins said. “This allows me to combine my love of teaching and the outdoors.”
With the fishing team, Scoggins said he hopes to open opportunities for students who don’t participate in any other sport.
“We have also seen in the past, that a lot of the student anglers may only play one sport if any so we will fill in a gap and provide another opportunity for students to go to college,” Scoggins said. “At the world finals, the winning team gets two $25,000 scholarships to fish in college.”
Last year, Scoggins team won the State Championship out of 125 teams on Bull Shoals, and he already has plans of next year’s team.
“We will have monthly meetings and set a fall/spring schedule to fish against each other on different lakes/rives so we can expose the anglers to different types of fishing conditions,” Scoggins said. “We are also planning on having one or two tournaments against other schools in preparation for our high school state tournament.”
Scoggins said a president and vice president will be chosen to lead the meetings and weigh-ins.
“This is how the teaching takes place,” Scoggins said. “Not only will I be passing along knowledge about fishing rods, lures, techniques and other equipment, but if someone in the club learns something new, then they get to share which in turn makes everyone a better angler.”
Scoggins said he is also planning on working with the Arkansas Game and Fish for the Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs, which is a program that helps kids develop life skills. It will give the students anglers the opportunity to host a fishing derby for elementary students.
Members will have to pay a registration fee of $25 to become members of TBF, The Bass Federation, and to pay for jerseys.
“I am working on sponsorships right now and will continue over the summer in an effort to raise enough to buy all jerseys,” Scoggins said.
Since it is a competition team, members will also be required to have their own equipment, including rods, reels and boat.
“If the student is not 18-years-old, then they have to have a person over 18 as a boat captain,” Scoggins said. “Members will be required to attend meetings, help with club activities, be in good academic standing and stay out of trouble.”
After his first year of teaching, Scoggins said he always wanted to return to the high school to teach.
“I graduated from Bryant and live only 10 minutes from the high school,” Scoggins said. “It has always felt like home.”
