SETX High School Fishing Association
All Set for 2014-2015 season
When the Southeast Texas High School Fishing Association (SETX) hosted its first tournament Dec. 7, 2013, no one could have seen what was coming.
“I arrived at the ramp that morning at about 3:45 am and there were already 70 boats in the parking lot,” recalled SETX President and Lumberton High School advisor Bryan Thomas. “We had to grow up real fast that day and we learned an awful lot throughout the 2013 season.”
While no one could have predicted that 262 high school fishing teams would show up on that cold, windy day at Sam Rayburn, it’s not hard to predict where the sport is headed now. “We are absolutely thrilled with what we accomplished in our first year, but we know we can do even better for our kids in the upcoming season,” Thomas continued.
“The most interesting thing we learned last year is that while we quickly became the largest high school fishing trail in the country, we also know that high school fishing in our area is still in its infancy and that we must keep preparing for what the future will bring in this sport,” added SETX Vice President Tom Selman, who is also the advisor at Port Neches High School. “One of our goals is to give every kid in southeast Texas the opportunity to fish competitively for his high school.”
Last year, 28 SETX schools took part in that December tournament on Sam Rayburn. This year, the group expects to see at least 40 southeast Texas high schools take part in the 2014-2015 season opener Dec. 6. It’s also planned for the giant lake. “The tournaments are the fun part, but keeping up with the growth requires all of us to work months ahead in order to provide the best opportunities for the kids of southeast Texas,” observed Selman.
“Our primary focus as an organization last year was to provide our kids with an end-of-year championship that the world of high school fishing had never seen before, and we did that,” said SETX Treasurer Ted O’Dell, who is also the team advisor at Buna High School. The season-ending championship paid out $60,000 in scholarships. “Some of those kids are in college now and are using that money to help them further their education and improve their lives – that’s what this is all about.”
The inaugural season was a huge success for SETX, but those connected with it don’t expect the same in the upcoming season; they expect more. “We know we must work even harder to provide more opportunities for our young anglers this season and we aim to do that,” said O’Dell.
Factors that have contributed to the tremendous and speedy growth of the sport in southeast Texas include easy access to some of the best lakes and facilities in the fishing world as well as the number of avid anglers in the area and financial support from local businesses and national corporations such as Lew’s, Lake Fork Tackle/Rod Sox, Lowrance, Rat-L-Trap and Bass King. The Student Angler Federation (highschoolfishing.com) is also a contributing factor to the success of our events. Every SETX anlger is also a member of the Student Angler Federation.
With the help of its sponsors, SETX is able to provide a 100% payback of the $40-per-team entry fee at all qualifying tournaments in 2015. Food and door prizes will also continue to be a part of every event. Excitement, thrills, and even heartbreak are sure to be a part of every tournament this season.
“We are excited about the upcoming season and, more than anything, we want to help provide a family-type atmosphere at our weigh-ins and where our kids and captains can have fun on the water, be safe, and enjoy themselves,” Thomas concluded.
For more information about the SETX High School Fishing Association, visit