Anglers brought out their rod-and-reels for the inaugural Franklinton High School Demon Football Bass Fishing Tournament last Saturday to help raise money for the school’s football program.

Participants could have one- or two-person teams, and the weigh-in was that afternoon at Riverbend Campround in Enon.

“It was a great tournament,” Franklinton coach Shane Smith said. “I think the students and adults who participated enjoyed it. The weigh-in was at Riverbend Campground in Enon. I know they had other things going on that day, but they allowed us to use their kitchen and their facility.

“We’d like to expand it next year. We had 21 teams this year, and we’d like to get to 40. It’s a unique type of fundraiser. There are a lot of avid fishermen in our area. It’s a competition, and it also helps out our football team.”

Smith said he got the idea because he’s an avid fisherman himself and said other schools are holding fishing tournaments.

“I got to thinking about where to have ours,” Smith said. “Having it in a local area, I think it was more conducive to our people. You didn’t need a boat, you could just go fish off of a pier.”

Twenty-one teams battled to have the heaviest five-fish stringer. There were two categories for the largest bass and the largest crappy.

Randall Singley and Randall Bankston brought in the heaviest five-fish stringer at 22 pounds. Ethan Pittman and Easton Pittman were second at 16 pounds, 9 ounces, followed by offensive line coach Clyde Oyler and Demons’ tackle/guard Adrian Magee at 16 pounds.

Singley and Bankston had the heaviest bass at just over 5 pounds with Magee and Oyler at 4pounds, 10 ounces. The Pittmans were third with 4 pounds, 9 ounces.

Levi Tarver won the largest crappie contest at 1 pound, 6 ounces.