Winnsboro fishing duo wins state in honor of fallen teammate

Published 6:00 pm Friday, June 14, 2024

Winnsboro High School sophomores Porter South and Leon Ackerman reeled in a two-day total of 38.82 pounds to win the Texas High School Bass Association state championship on May 19 on Lake Palestine.

“It felt like nothing I had ever felt before,” Ackerman said. “It was amazing. We had been fishing so long and so hard, it was relieving to win state.”

South and Ackerman’s championship victory came three months after friend and teammate Kale Robinson who died following a weigh-in at a fishing tournament in February at Lake Bob Sandlin.

“It definitely meant a lot for my partner and me winning that for Kale,” South said. “We do everything for him.”

“Kale was one of my good friends,” Ackerman said. “I’ve known him a long time. We would hang out every weekend.”

Another Winnsboro fishing teammate, Gage Ivey, was injured in a vehicle crash in April.

“It’s been a tough year,” said Terry Hayley, the president of the Winnsboro High School fishing team. “Two kids from our Winnsboro team (Kanyon Russom and Cooper Standridge), one lost his partner to death and the other lost his partner to a vehicle accident. They have been competing for their partners.

“You can’t put words on the excitement for our team and for Leon and Porter to win that with what we’ve been through and what we stand for as ‘Kale Strong.’ We dedicated this year to Kale and next year to Kale, and his name will be on our jerseys as long as I’m involved.”

Hayley said he was originally was going to step down last year, but God called him to continue to be there for the kids.

“As a president of this organization for 10 years, I couldn’t be happier to watch two sophomores in high school win state against 195 teams across the state and to do so in honor of one of their fallen fisherman and classmates,” Hayley said. “I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

Robinson won the Texas Bass Nation High School State Fishing Championship in 2022 and qualified for the national championship in 2022 and 2023.

“He was a champion too, he won a nationals tournament,” South said. “It just feels really good to continue his legacy and keep fishing for him. We’ve got one more tournament left, and we’re going to hope we can do the best we can at it.”

The teams of South/Ackerman, Ivey/Standridge and Russom/Robinson all qualified for the Texas High School Bass Association Angler of the Year Tournament June 22 at Lake Lewisville.

“I’m hoping we can go win it,” Ackerman said. “I feel like we got robbed for first place at Angler of the Year, so hopefully we can make a comeback and get first.”

South and Ackerman said this was their first year as teammates, but they were able to click immediately on the way to a state championship.

“It was our first time fishing together, but we work good together,” South said.

“Him and I, we love to go golfing,” Ackerman said. “He teaches me to fish, and I teach him to golf.”