Prior Lake High School grad qualifies for Bassmaster national fishing tournament

Prior Lake American

Fishing has been a part of Jack Kons’s life since he was a child — and it’s paid off.

Kons, along with fellow Bemidji State University student Luke Gillund, will compete at the Bassmasters national championship April 19-21 on Pickwick Lake in Alabama after qualifying at an earlier competition.

Kons got into competitive fishing when he was about 12 years old.

“I’d fish a little bit at my cabin, but nothing too competitive,” Kons said. “I liked to fish but I had never gotten into bass fishing.”

Kons, who is a 2015 Prior Lake High School graduate, continued to competitively fish when he went to college at Bemidji State University. Now a junior at the school, Kons continued to fish competitively in Bassmaster tournaments at the collegiate level.

Bassmaster tournaments are professional bass fishing competitions, held periodically throughout the year across the country and across all age groups.

“We camp and we go fish these tournaments against other schools across the country,” Kons said.

Kons and fellow Bemidji State student Luke Gillund fished at the 2018 Carhartt College Central Tour at Toledo Bend Reservoir in Louisiana Jan. 25-27.

The top 30 from each qualifying event get to go to the national championship later this year. Each tournament is about three days and the goal is to get the heaviest load of fish.

On the first day, Kons and Gillund ended at 34th place. On the second day, the duo managed to move up to 15th, just before the third day was canceled due to weather.

“You get five bass per day and then you just weigh them,” Kons said. “As you get a bigger fish, you can throw a smaller one back.”

Over the two days, the pair brought in 29 pounds and six ounces of fish.

“We were pretty bummed out that day three was canceled because we thought we could move into the top 10,” Kons said.

However, the amount of fish and coming in 15th allowed the pair to qualify for the national championship.

“I just like the challenge of it and every day on the water is a new day,” Kons said. “It’s just peaceful, and most of the time it’s beautiful out. It’s fun kind of putting the pieces together of the puzzle and have it all come together going to the Bassmasters Championship.”