The Next Generation tournament trail is soon to host the first ever Next Generation Classic on Lake Douglas this coming June.   Almost 50 teams have qualified for the event that will enable the teams to compete for scholarship and prize money. All Next Generation teams that finished the 2010 season with 150 points or more are eligible to participate in the Classic. Winners of the Next Generation Classic will win $5000.00 in scholarship prize money. Other sponsors have contributed to the scholarship fund as well. Bethel University and the American College of Barbering will both be offering scholarship prize money at the upcoming classic also.

One team that has their eye on those prizes is Alan and Tyler Harris. Team Harris was the 2010 Next Generation, point’s champions. Although it was the team’s first year with USA Bassin the two are no strangers to tournament bass fishing. Alan and Tyler discovered USA Bassin fishing a tournament on Lake Greenwood. The two were approached by Gary Earl and Don Woods about Bassin. The team was excited by the opportunity to fish a series that was just adult and youth teams.  There are four in the Harris family, Rebecca Alan’s wife, Tyler, and a daughter Kaylin.

The whole family takes yearly fishing vacations to numerous lakes. Alan is employed with the Department of defense as an engineering technician at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Indiana. Tyler attends Bloomfield Jr. /Sr. High. His favorite subject is math and would like to attend Ohio State University and become a wildlife biologist. Besides fishing Tyler enjoys football and deer hunting when he is not spending time on the water. Fishing has been part of Alan Harris most of his life. He grew up on the Ohio River fishing the river along with farm ponds and lakes surrounding Southeastern Ohio. Alan has been involved in tournament bass fishing now for over 20 years. He recalls even fishing tournaments during his time in the military.

I asked Alan; what was the most memorable moment fishing Bassin this past season. Alan said, besides winning the national point’s in bassin with Tyler, the time spent with his son fishing was the fondest memories. Patoka Lake was listed as Alan’s favorite place to fish. He enjoys fishing in the spring season and proclaims Jig fishing as his favorite method of catching big bucket mouth bass. 

Tyler on the other hand will pick top water most of the time but his go to bait was a 10 inch Texas rigged worm for catching monsters. I asked Alan if Tyler was a boat handler as well as a fisherman, he replied “Tyler can take the helm as well as jump on the bow and run the trolling motor. Alan went on to say that, “he didn’t make a bad net man either”. Tyler has been fishing tournaments with his dad for four years now. I asked Tyler what was the fondest memory of the two fishing together, the younger Harris said, “winning our first tournament on Lake Greenwood together was one that he will never forget.

When asked about the Next Generation Classic, Tyler said that he and his dad had never fished Douglas, but have fished Lake Norris just to the north of Douglas two years ago on a summer vacation.  The Harris’s have fished many lakes together and you can rest assured they will be in the hunt for the top prizes at the Next Generation Classic.

I would like to congratulate all those qualifying for the Next Generation Classic. Entry forms are now being accepted for the event that will be held on Lake Douglas June 10th & 11th. All entries forms and information are available online at the Bassin website. I also want the thank all those involved in the Next Generation tournament trail. Without your help none of this would have been possible.   If you are interested in starting a division of Next Generation fisherman contact information is available online. Youth is the future of tournament bass fishing.  The Next Generation Tournament trail will be the starting line for many youth racing to be a professional tournament bass fisherman.

 

Taking a kid fishing will build memories that will last a lifetime.

Steve Hanson