CENTRE — One of Cherokee County's most popular hobbies may soon come to a campus near you. There is talk that bass fishing could be sanctioned as a championship sport by the Alabama High School Athletic Association in the near future.

With professional angling a lucrative and popular sport and universities -- Alabama and Auburn both field tournament teams -- it was inevitable that the demand for high school competitive bass fishing has would eventually float to the surface.

In order for bass fishing to become a Alabama High School Athletic Association-sanctioned sport, 10 percent of the state's high schools (roughly 40 schools) would have to declare at the first of the school year that they are going to have a team. Then, bass fishing would compete as a “sport under jurisdiction.” In that time the ASHAA would consult the sport's governing body (presumably B.A.S.S.) to develop a pattern for meets and create a competition format, complete with regional and state championships.

Some Alabama high schools have already formed fishing clubs, and a spring tournament series exists for those schools.

“The concept behind what we are trying to do is to provide a simple, fun tournament format for the students to fish in and help organize bass fishing clubs in the high schools,” said Tim Tidwell, who helps organize the high school tournaments. The next competition is set for Lake Neely Henry on March 27.

Alabama is not the first state to consider sanctioning bass fishing as a high school sport. During the 2008-2009 school year, Illinois began competitive high school bass fishing, complete with district and state championships.

Tidwell said competitive high school fishing could tap into an otherwise inactive group of students. He notes a statistic from Illinois's initial season, which indicated that 55 percent of high school anglers do not participate in any other school activity.

“It's going to give the kids a real positive experience and a social aspect from being a part of a team,” he said.

Most local principals have only recently learned about the possibility of bass fishing being sanctioned, and many details – including adult supervision guidelines, insurance questions, etc. – remain to be worked out.

Still, educators agree that sport fishing would seems an ideal fit for Cherokee County.

“It does seem to make more sense here,” said Superintendent Brian Johnson. “Anything we could do to promote our schools, Weiss Lake, and our county is definitely worth looking at.”

Paul McWhorter, who already sponsors a fly-fishing club at Gaylesville High School, was the most enthusiastic of the county's principals.

“I think it would be a great thing to encourage people to be involved in something like this,” McWhorter said.

In May 2009, Tidwell was moved to step up his efforts after a visit to the Illinois state championship tournament.

“There was a school that had never won a championship in any sport,” he said.

“They had local businesses hanging up signs, and fans rooting just like they were the football team. I knew we had to bring this back to Alabama.”

Editor's note: To organize a bass fishing team for the March 27 tournament, call Tidwell at 205-283-0503 or download an entry form at www.alhsbf.ning.com.