Pickett County Bobcats fisherman Braydon Scott said he does not need a scoreboard to measure his growth, just a quiet stretch of water and a chance to represent the school on his jersey.
Now entering his fifth year with the Bobcats, Scott said what began as the occasional trip to a lake or river quickly turned into a passion. That love for the sport has grown into a sense of pride every time he loads the boat for another tournament.
“It means a lot,” Scott said. “Going out here to these different lakes and fishing tournaments to represent Pickett County and just finishing high and doing good in tournaments looks good for you and your school and just represent you.”
Scott competes alongside Jackson White, with the guidance of their boat captain, and the chemistry between the two has paid off. After the fall season, the duo sits fourth in the state of Tennessee in points and 10th in the Central Division, positioning themselves as one of the top small-school teams in the region.
“We’re really good right now,” Scott said. “We like to scope. It’s very fun, just to get out there in the middle against these single-A schools. He’s good, I’m good, we’re very good with each other.”
The partnership is still new; this is the pair’s first year together. Scott said the fit was natural from the start.
“We’re just out there having fun,” Scott said. “The Lord blesses you with fish, and then just going out there and catching fish is the hard part…you got to go out there and find the big fish.”
Behind the scenes, Scott’s commitment does not slow down when the tournament calendar does. While the Bobcats will not resume competition until February, he said the offseason is just another opportunity to sharpen his edge, especially in the toughest conditions.
Scott said he still heads out whenever he can, even in icy weather, chasing the toughest fish that make their way up to the rivers and lakes he looks to compete at in the spring.