The Trinity (Whitesville) High School bass fishing team is sending two anglers to the KHSAA state tournament after a late catch secured their spot at the Region 1 Championship.
Carson Fitzgerald and Brady McBrayer placed 21st overall, catching two smallmouth bass midday before landing a largemouth bass in the final hour that proved to be the difference. They will compete at Lake Cumberland on May 9-10.
“It felt great to qualify,” McBrayer said. “We know we need to spend some more time on the water, getting more comfortable and learning as much as we can about Lake Cumberland.”
McBrayer added that preparation will be key.
“We’ve got to improve every day and get as familiar as we can with the lake,” he said.
For Fitzgerald, it marks the fifth straight year he has qualified for state.
“Brady McBrayer and I struggled right off the bat this morning, but had a little bite window and caught two nice smallmouth midday that got our hopes up for the rest of the tournament,” Fitzgerald said. “We caught one decent largemouth in the last hour of the tournament that ended up punching our ticket to the state tournament. This was the toughest day I have seen Kentucky and Barkley Lake in quite some time, especially this time of year.”
Fitzgerald said the move to Lake Cumberland for this year’s state tournament brings some new challenges.
“In my high school career, state has always been at Kentucky Lake, which I find myself to have a bigger advantage because I am on the lake every weekend and know how the lake fishes,” he said. “With the state tournament being at a lake I have never fished before, this year makes me nervous but excited as well. It’s not going to be easy, but I know that I can focus on the skills I have learned throughout the years from other lakes and push harder than ever toward that state trophy.”
Fitzgerald finished third at the state tournament last year and said it fueled his motivation for this season.
“After placing third in state last year, it lit a spark in me to give it everything I got this year even though I have no knowledge on Lake Cumberland,” he said.
As he closes out his high school career, Fitzgerald said he is proud of his consistency.
“Qualifying for the state tournament five years in a row isn’t a very easy thing to accomplish,” he said. “Going to state has always been the main goal every fishing season, and with the good Lord on my side, I have been able to accomplish that goal every year. With this year’s state tournament being my last high school tournament ever, it’s sad to think about, but I’m excited to go to state one last time and hopefully bring Whitesville Trinity its first-ever bass fishing state title.”
Head coach BJ Fitzgerald said he is proud of the team’s effort and is looking forward to sharpening their skills even more before the tournament.
“I’m really proud of these guys for grinding it out and getting the job done,” BJ Fitzgerald said. “Now we’ve got to clean up a few things and get them out on Lake Cumberland early so they can get comfortable. If we put the work in, I feel good about our chances.”
