Fishing with Chase Black

Chase Black is a South Florence High School student that competes on the fishing team at the school. He shares some insight on how he manages to reel in the big ones.

with

Chase Black

What is your first memory of going fishing?

"I fished in a Jon boat with my dad when I was five."

What was the first fish you caught and where was it?

"The first fish I remember catching was a big catfish when I was with my grandpa and dad. I was around five and it was so big it almost pulled me in the water."

What is your favorite body of water to fish in locally?

"I like Lake Marion. I have a lot of memories fishing there with my grandpa and my dad."

What’s your favorite fishing gear?

"A Quantum Heavy Duty reel and a 7-foot Duckett Fishing rod that I like to throw with my little black Popping Frog on it."

What type of boat and motor do you prefer using?

"The boat I prefer is a 20-foot Stratos and the motor I prefer is a Yamaha 250 V Max."

If you could fish anywhere, where would it be?

"I would fish on Lake Okeechobee in Florida because they have some big bass."

Everyone has the “one” that got away. Tell us about yours.

"It happened at the State Tournament on Lake Wylie. We had two good fish and needed one more at that time. We pulled up to the spot, I threw a Pop R to a log and a big bass blew up on it. I fought it for a few seconds and then he jumped out of the water and spit

the bait back at me. We still won the tournament in the end but during that moment I was worried. I still remember it like it was yesterday."

What’s the best fish you’ve ever caught?

"It was 9 lbs and I caught him at Santee on a white Popping Frog."

What’s the key to being a great fisherman?

"You have to practice and pay attention to your surroundings on the water. Example: the birds feeding or baitfish flickering."

What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you during a day of fishing?

"When I was fishing at Cooper River, a manatee came up and swam by the boat."

Tell us about your competitive fishing journey.

"In middle school, I fished with my partner, Cayden Lawerence, at Southside Middle School. This year my sister, Ava, was able to fish so we fish together with the South Florence High School bass fishing team. My partner for the Jr. Bass Tournaments was Cayden Lawerence. During the 2019-20 school year we won Lake Marion, Jr. Bass Master and Lake Moultrie High School Division. During the 202021 school year we won: Lake Murray, Lake Marion/ Moultrie, and Lake Wylie State Championship. We then went to Tennessee for Nationals and placed 14th out of 62 teams. This was our second year fishing together. "Outside of school, I participated in a tournament called the BBZ Big Bass Jr. World Championship. In order to qualify for the championship, you had to win state. I caught 32.76 pounds with my five biggest fish to win the State in South Carolina. I then went to Branson, Missouri for the Championship and came in sixth place out of the 52 other State winners."