Anglers from Quitman High have a well-earned reputation of being some of the top high school fishermen in the state, as each year they have won at least one tournament on the Northeast Louisiana High School (NELAHS) Angler Tour. 

Jake Vail and Jaxon Cheatwood, veterans of the NELAHS tour since beginning as junior anglers, kept the long-standing tradition alive this past weekend when they landed a five-fish stringer weighing 22.44 pounds to win first place in the season-ending NELAHS tournament held on Lake Claiborne. 

By virtue of their top finish, the pair moved into 9th place in the overall season standings and became the only team from Jackson Parish to qualify for the Top Ten Championship, to be held on May 10th at a fishery yet to be determined. 

Culpepper, Essemeir top junior anglers! It was a great weekend for several team members from Jackson Parish, as well as Jaxen Culpepper and Hayden Essemeir, representing Quitman, who earned the designation as the top junior angler team with a catch of 15.96 pounds, which was also good for third place overall out of the 46 teams that participated. 

Additional finishers with local ties were Maddox Duck of Quitman High and his partner Benton Terry, who came in 6th place, and the junior team of Sheppard Norred and Jackson Ables, who were the fourth-best junior angler team and finished 12th overall. 

Hailey Chatham finished as the top female angler in the tournament when her partner Ben Ramsey, representing Weston High School, combined to take 19th place overall, while junior anglers Drew Caldwell and Asher Norred came in 32nd place.