In just the second year since its formation, and despite unseasonably warm and often challenging conditions, the Amherst Fishing Club has emerged as a formidable foe with multiple trophies won in the weeks leading up to the late February state tournament.
The team’s signature, season-defining win came on the Chain O’ Lakes, Waupaca, on Sat., Jan. 20. Amherst’s cadre of middle and high school anglers fought tooth-to-tail on a chilly but sunny morning to best an 11-team field that included the host school of Waupaca.
Amherst tallied just under 306 total inches of fish, including 210 inches of game fish (Northern Pike and Bass) to edge out hard-charging Waupaca, Appleton East, Kaukauna, New London, and Iola-Scandinavia among other top finishers.
The top catches of the day included a 28.5-inch pike, a 26-inch pike, and a handful of 10-inch or better pan fish (crappie, blue gill, sunfish, perch), but the highlight was perhaps the sheer joy expressed by Amherst’s students upon hearing they were at the top of the leaderboard as the clock struck 1 p.m. Team members embraced, screamed, even dropped to their knees in celebratory elation.
“It’s the first time in the school’s history that we’ve won a major tournament,” said Ty Schelvan, the student club president. “We split up and executed our plan perfectly.”
With their confidence growing like a spawning pike feeding on a school of yellow perch, the Falcons then rallied to place third in the Lakeland Invitational (Minoqua), securing the team’s second trophy in just eight days.
“This season has been incredible! Last year we started this club and had about 25 members with about 15 of them being active. This year we have over 40 members with about 30 of them being actively involved in our activities,” said head coach Jason Pickering. “The attitude of the club had gone from ‘let’s have fun’ to ‘let’s win.’ The expectation is to do well. The leadership we have from the kids this year is really outstanding and I couldn’t be more proud of our team.”
Last year, Amherst boasted the single biggest fish of the Lakeland invite, but a third place team finish this year seemed even more satisfying considering the combined efforts of all those involved. Amherst’s total of 379.5 inches of fish fell shy of Slinger’s 381.5, and host Lakeland’s 411.5, but it was good enough to place in a highly-competitive 13-team field that included Slinger/Freedom, Three Lakes, Neenah, and Kaukauna–all teams that were within a fish or two of toppling the leaders.
In a final warm-up prior to the state tournament, Amherst combined with Clintonville to place fifth overall among 25 teams in the North-South Tag Team Trifecta sponsored by Dakota Lithium.
More than 100 schools were scheduled to travel to Lacrosse for this year’s state tournament, but the tournament was moved to wherever teams could find ice throughout the state with all fish reported digitally. Not ideal, but a state tournament nonetheless.
The club’s burgeoning efforts are made possible thanks to a handful of sponsors who have generously assisted the team financially despite a winter in which many businesses have suffered a loss of profits due to the warm weather, noted Pickering.
These sponsors include OK Hardware, the Tomorrow River Conservation Club, Ardisam, Taps and Tackle, HT Enterprise, Calcutta Outdoors, Magic Products, Fleet Farm, Sure Strike, and Gollon Brothers.
“I cannot possibly thank our sponsors enough. This club would not exist without you. You have given all of these kids a place to belong in a sport that they are passionate about. With continued support from the school district and the community the future is very bright!” said Pickering.
