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GHSA will add bass fishing next year as an official sport

Peach County plans to put a team on the water.

PEACH COUNTY, Ga. — Chances are if you live in the Peach State, you've wet a line every now and then.

Now, starting next year, the Georgia High School Association is making bass fishing an official sport for high school students.

A field of dreams will look different for Peach County High School next year.

Ken Hartley is the principal.

"We're excited to have bass fishing at Peach County High School next year," he exclaimed.

Hartley fishes himself when he's not on the job.

"You know, my late father told me there's never a bad day on a pond or on a lake," he chuckled.

Freshman Alayna Mitchell jumped on board immediately when she heard the news.

"I was really excited. I was like, 'Wait, really?'" she questioned.

It's for real.

The teams will be co-ed, and Hartley says they'll carry everyone who's interested.

"It's going to be fun and interesting and it's going to be cool to represent Peach County High -- something different than football and baseball and stuff like that," Mitchell said.

Peach County will use Lake Tobesofkee as a practice area, but before they can get to that, they'll have to do some fundraising and get some sponsorship just like the pros do. That's because the GHSA says each team has to come up with their own bass boats.

"Of course, we're starting this from the ground up, so it's new to all of us," Hartley explained. "As we speak we are getting up fundraising packages and reaching out to some of the places that do deal with fishing, such as the Sports Center in Perry and Bass Pro Shops and Academy, reach out for them as gold sponsors and silver sponsors."

State qualifying tournaments will happen in four different areas of the state beginning next January.

The state championship will follow in March or April.

"We've brought home several in football. It would be nice to bring home that state championship ring in bass fishing," Hartley projected.

The GHSA is also partnering with the FLW, which is the world's largest tournament fishing organization, and the Bass Federation.

Peach County also plans to field an e-sports team next year.

That is also an official GHSA sport.

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