Lake Weir Storyboard 1-17-2026

Our 2026 season kicked off in high fashion on 1-16-26 at the First Baptist Church of Weirsdale. Pastor Jamie and his staff put on a dinner that would rival any restaurant. They welcomed us with open arms and loving hearts. They even brought in trophy bass to hang on the walls for ambiance. We were very blessed for sure! Chaplain Brock Reeves kicked us off with our opening prayer and the anglers lined up to receive their viddles! Spaghetti, Salad, Crescent rolls, Sweet tea, and them deserts oooowee… YUM! Cakes, Pies, and Cookies…. To say that our anglers were spoiled early would be an understatement. Our guest speaker, Jesse Cardwell, delivered his heartfelt testimony and provided words of wisdom for all of us as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to look after us. Once the message was complete and the anglers bellies were full, Director Joe went over a rules review highlighting the updated rules for 2026 and conducted a little house-keeping for the next days launch. Once that was completed, the director conducted boat draw and let the anglers leave for the night to prepare for the tournament. Pastor Jamie and his staff donated all the leftovers for us to deliver to families in need that night and the Director and his family made the delivery on behalf of the church and the Fishers of Men.

At 0530 on 1-17-26, Joe and Jase met the anglers at the boat ramp to conduct livewell checks and final check in. The anglers were met with crisp 38 degree weather and a gentle breeze. Once all boats were checked and launched, the director conducted a reminder of the official times, rules, and weigh-in return times. He then played the National Anthem and said a word of prayer for the day. 14 teams would vie for the crown but only one would return victorious. Blastoff commenced at 0659 and the anglers were off to see who would return as Champion of the tournament. Let the battle begin. The weather turned out to be perfect as the warming trend continued throughout the day topping out at 70 degrees just in time for weigh-in. 13 of 14 teams weighed in at 3pm for a total of 122.98 pounds. Taking first place to kick off the season was the team of Tray Bozeman and Luke Wright with 21.03 pounds and a 5.12 big fish. Coming in second place with 17.25 pounds was our very own Chaplain, Brock Reeves and partner Walker Smith who smashed the scales with a 6.93 pound beauty that anchored their bag and would hold on to big fish honors for the day.

Third place honors went to the team of Donald Dawkins and Turner Armstrong with 14.19 pounds anchored by a 4.77 pound bass. There were 10 limits on the day and 100% of the fish were released back to the Lake Weir waters to be caught again another day. Overall, despite the cold temps that morning, it was a great day of Fatih, Fellowship, and Fishing! God was good to us as always and to Him be all Glory, Honor, and Praise! Next stop is Lake Santa Fe on February 21^st which could turn into a slugfest so stay tuned! God bless and we will see you next month!