Many have felt the sun gleaming down on the back of their neck as they cast their fishing rod for the first time across the water. Fishing for the first time is a common memory for most, but for sophomore Kaleb McDonald, that moment would spark a lasting passion for the sport.

“My grandpa really taught me how to fish,” McDonald said, “and [my passion for fishing] grew from me being a big outdoors person. It’s nice to just go out there and have fun, catch a couple of fish and just enjoy the lake that we were provided.”

Using his passion for the sport, McDonald has made fishing the focal point of his extracurricular activities. He fishes for the school’s fishing team where they compete in four tournaments throughout the year, including a state tournament. The preparation for these tournaments often requires careful thought and practice.

“Getting ready for [tournaments] is a lot most of time,” McDonald said, “People go out the day before and pre-fish to figure out what they want to do, set up a game plan and other stuff like that.”

When first getting started in the sport, McDonald had to figure out how the tournaments operated and how to properly prepare for them. This initial learning curve prevented him from finding success in the beginning. However, with experience came better results in tournaments.

“In my first fishing tournament I didn’t catch a single fish and it was tough,” McDonald said, “Then I kept fishing in more tournaments, going out with more people to learn different techniques, and at the end of my first year of fishing I got first and second in two tournaments and third at state overall.”

Taking his experience from high school, McDonald plans to continue fishing for college and even try for a career in the sport.

“There’s a bunch of big colleges that have great [fishing] teams,” McDonald said, “and it would be awesome to get my name out there for sponsorships and even getting into a pro league after I graduate.”

Beyond making a career out of it, McDonald emphasizes the impact that fishing has had on his life and what it has taught him.

“[Fishing] teaches you that you can’t follow people in what they do,” McDonald said, “You have to learn how to work things out yourself without using other people.”