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Falling for fish: Autumn is a great time for anglers on Pine Creek at Tomb Flats, just south of the village of Slate Run, where Colegan poses with another rainbow trout.

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Everything they had figured out was thrown out the window. The two kept their heads down and their eyes on the water, picking apart every square inch they could in order to scrape together some bites. They tried new areas and relied on jigs (weighted lures), Ned rigs (named for outdoor writer Ned Kehde—a technique using small plastic critters that will float easily off the bottom), and wacky rigs (a plastic worm hooked in the middle that wiggles attractively from both ends). The bites didn’t come easy and, as Colegan says, “keeping it simple” was key. By the end of the day, the duo had scraped together another limit of five bass. This time it was only good enough for sixth place, but, more importantly, it gave them enough points to solidify their spot at the PA B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship.

Throughout the season, Colegan and Connor fished a few other events on free weekends too, including the Major League Fishing High School Open on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. There, they scored a third place finish by skipping docks (fishing under a dock, where the big bass sometimes hide) with wacky rigs and throwing topwaters (using a floating lure) to bass that were busting schools of baitfish on the surface. Similarly, they fished the Bass Federation U.S. Open and caught largemouth skipping docks. Offshore, they found a solid smallie bite on the deeper shoals using crankbaits, jigs, and tubes.

Looking back on all the events, Colegan notes that each one was different, but that working together as a team was crucial. Some days he was better at catching bass. Other days, it was Connor who landed the most fish. Staying focused and making good decisions in tandem helped a solid plan come together as they prefished and worked toward the state championship. By the end of October, the two were ready to compete again on Raystown Lake. Unlike the other tournaments, the championship was a two-day competition.

The Biggest Catch

Come tournament time, fall weather had set in and water temperatures had dropped. Patterns that worked early in the year weren’t holding up—instead they found bass suspended in deeper water. Much like the Cowanesque event, their electronics proved to be key as they targeted submerged trees and suspended bass. Using live sonar, the team worked a three-quarter-ounce tail spinner through the schools, getting the key bites on gizzard shad colors. Bait fish patterns were crucial, and, through two days of competition, they managed enough weight to take home their second victory of the season. In that moment, the Wellsboro Bassmasters became the 2022 PA B.A.S.S. Nation High School Champions. The win earned them their place at the national championship in 2023, too.

Later this summer, Colegan and Connor head south to compete on the big stage. The national championship is the Superbowl of high school bass fishing. Teams comprised of the best high school anglers from across the nation will be there,

See Gump on page 33

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