I recently heard from friends in my local bass fishing club and then read about in the Portland Press Herald that a personal friend and fishing buddy, Nick Deering (who is in my junior bass club), won The Bass Federation World Championship on Degray Lake in Arkansas.

That is a big deal, because the southerners usually win. They know the lake and could have fished it before. Nick had never fished it before, but he persevered and figured out the patterns and stuck to it. He caught the winning weight of 12 pounds, 4 ounces.

That is a big step in the Maine bass fishing scene. To win a world fish-off as a kid, or as an adult, is a big deal for that state’s bass fishing community. That shows there are a lot of good fishermen in the area and that we have the people to compete with the big guns of the South.

While fishing with Nick’s father in the Maine Bass Fish-off, he said, “Lots of people down South, they don’t like to see the northern guys get it. So it was like an upset and shows that Maine can compete with the best.”

I want to see more youth bass fishing, or fishing in general. Also, the boat launches should be better maintained so people can do what they love to do a lot easier. And there should be fewer restrictions for bass fishermen.

Brenden Wood, Sabattus