WINNSBORO, Texas — It's been an up and down past few months for the Winnsboro fishing team.
In February, they were struck by tragedy when their teammate Kale Robinson passed away following a tournament. As a beloved member of the fishing community and a good friend and teammate, it hit his fellow anglers hard.
As a result, they decided to dedicate the remainder of the season in his honor. It then ended with the best result imaginable. The pair of Porter South and Leon Ackerman took home the Texas High School Bass Association State Championship on Lake Palestine in May.
Their performance was sensational, bringing in just over 38 pounds of catches for two days. South also had the big bass of the tournament, at 8.57 pounds. To cap it all off, they received two trophies for their success.
However, they said that those trophies and all the accomplishments meant even more this year, getting to honor their teammate and friend in the process.
"He was a champion too, he won a nationals tournament," South said. "It just feels really good to continue his legacy and keep fishing for him. We've got one more tournament left, and we're going to hope we can do the best we can at it."
Ackerman and South have clinched an invitation to participate in the THSBA Angler of the Year tournament on June 22. They'll be joined by fellow Winnsboro teammates pairings Gage Ivey and Cooper Standridge, along with Kanyon Russom and Kale Robinson, the latter of whom qualified for the tournament prior to his passing.
Above all, one thing remains the same for the Winnsboro fishing team -- they'll continue to honor their teammate with every fish they continue to catch.