Bennett Fontenot and Braxton Speyrer's love for fishing began by simply being on the water with their fathers.
PORT BARRE, La. (KLFY)-- Fishing in South Louisiana is one of the most common pastimes to take part in alongside friends and family. For others, it means much more. Bennett Fontenot and Braxton Speyrer's love for fishing began by simply being on the water with their fathers.
Bennett Fontenot went on to say, "I would have to say it was my pops and the ultimate drive to go fishing. You know I have the itch real bad to go every day to go fish."
Their love for the water grew over the years, leading them to compete as members of the Port Barre Fishing Team. The boys competed throughout the year across Louisiana, qualifying for the state tournament in the process. Fontenot and Speyrer would finish in 4th place in the state tournament, earning them a bid into the High School World Finals in Anderson, South Carolina.
"We went out confident in their area that they chose, and they got fish in the boat extremely early," Port Barre High School Fishing coach Derrick Fontenot added. "We went to one more spot and Braxton actually hooked up with a giant one. At that point, we knew we had a chance and it was so emotional on the boat."
The Port Barre Fishing Team would go on to catch three live fish on the final day that weighed in at 12 pounds and 14 ounces, only 2 ounces fewer than the winning team. The boys did not go home empty-handed with their second-place finish, they would take home over $300,000 in scholarships for their placement in the World Finals.
Speyrer and Fontenot expressed how the wave of support following the tournament affected them saying, "It was pretty overwhelming. We had a bunch of people reach out to us and congratulate us and it really meant a lot. It feels good to have people that support what you do."
