Upperman High School fisherman Ben Wilson is entering his fifth year with the Bees’ fishing team, closing in on the end of a youth career that has taken him from a rain-soaked first tournament to becoming one of the area’s most consistent high-school anglers.
Wilson said his love of being outdoors, and especially on the water, is what drove him into competitive bass fishing long before he joined Upperman’s program.
“All throughout my life when I was a little younger, I’ve always had the enjoyment of being outside and especially fishing,” Wilson said. “[My grandfather] used to own an outdoor store and he got me into the idea of tournament bass fishing and when I heard at Upperman there as a fishing team, I jumped on it, I dove in head first and that’s where I am now.”
Wilson’s first tournament took place in fifth grade in Dale Hollow Lake. Wilson dealt with rain throughout the event, catching no fish for the nine hour period he and his team spent out there. Wilson said he has grown and gotten better at realizing how much harder fishing is than it looks.
“Maybe you turn on the TV, you watch the Bassmasters, you watch all these pros and they’re catching big fish left and right,” Wilson said. “Maybe that’s not how it’s always going to be.”
Wilson said his moment he is most proud of was a heartbreaker. Last October, he and his partner Cade Austin finished second out of 250 teams in a tournament he had never experienced before. Wilson said he found a grass mat on a creek off the main channel and caught 15 pounds off the mat with a frog bite. Wilson said his go to technique requires a sonar.
“When in doubt, scope it out,” Wilson said. “We’re trying to get a better bite of fish or a more quantity bite of fish instead of quality [by using a sonar.]”
Wilson will fish in his final winter tournament this Saturday before taking an eight week break for the season. Wilson will resume his season in February, looking for another top five finish.