Iowa Student Is One Of The Best High School Anglers In The World

If you look up fishing in the dictionary, it's defined as "the technique, occupation, or diversion of catching fish." Some people view this technique, occupation, or diversion as a hobby or something they can do on the weekends for fun. Others might think of it as something they enjoy doing with their family.

Maybe you and your dad or mom like getting up early and spending a day out on the water, competing with each other for the biggest fish. There are also fishermen/women, like this Iowa teen, who dedicate their entire life to catching the biggest and heaviest fish.

There's a line from a classic baseball movie called The Sandlot and the line says "Baseball was life." For Evan Powell, it appears fishing is life.

Evan is a teenager from Norwalk, Iowa, and he is one of the best high schooler anglers in the entire world. While some may think of fishing as a fun hobby or a way to spend time with friends and family, Evan is likely going to use fishing as a way to attend college, where he'll get the opportunity to compete against some of the best fishermen/women on the planet.

According to KCRG, Evan started out his fishing lifestyle as a hobby during the early days of the pandemic. Now, he will likely join a collegiate fishing team after he graduates as he is currently ranked the 51st best high school fisher in the world.

Most people might not realize how much competitive fishing has grown over the years. You've heard of fishing competitions sure, but competitive fishing at the collegiate level has grown over 700% nationwide for the past several years.

Evan made the 2023 Bass Master High School All-State fishing team and he told KCRG, he's out fishing no matter what the conditions are. He said

This is an all-day thing. You get up super early, you’re out on the water super early, in the conditions no matter what it is, whether it is pouring or it’s 100 degrees out, you are out there for however long it may be.

Evan travels all over the country, competing against hundreds of other fishermen/women, and currently has college programs recruiting him to join their teams after he graduates.