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When Chisago Lakes seniors Nick Kavanagh and Jacob Metz climbed into their boat at Clarks Hill Lake in Evans, Georgia, it wasn’t just another fishing trip. It was the culmination of years spent honing their craft on area lakes, a chance to represent their school and community on the biggest stage in high school bass fishing—the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship, held July 31 through August 2.

The duo earned their ticket to nationals from their great showing at the 2024 state tournament in Minnesota.

The pair also felt prepared for the tournament after grinding through a 2025 season that saw them near the top of every event. “We were doing well, averaging top three in every tournament,” Kavanagh said. “We won Forest Lake, took third at White Bear and seventh at Rush out of 34 teams. Between the points we earned, we won the whole conference.”

It wasn’t just the results that made the season memorable. For both Kavanagh and Metz, the journey was about the team they built and the mentor who guided them, longtime local angler Gregg Lindbloom.

“Jacob and I weren’t rookies, but Gregg was so experienced and a local pro,” Kavanagh said. “He taught us almost everything we know.”

The jump from Minnesota waters to a 71,000-acre reservoir in the Deep South was eye-opening. Daytime highs hit over 100 degrees, with humidity pushing the heat index well into the triple digits. The fishing was just as different as the climate.

“It was completely different than up here,” Kavanagh explained. “We were fishing brush piles in 25 feet of water, live-scoping in 100 feet down by the dam. Up here it’s rocks and weedlines. Down there, it’s a whole new game.”

Metz said the team felt good about practice. “We thought the fish we found were nice and could have put us above the top half,” he said. “But something pushed them off our spots and things never quite picked up.”

The pair managed to catch fish, with their first day total coming in at 4 lbs, 8 oz. and the second day haul at 6 lbs, 7 oz.. It left them in 151st place out of 250 teams—respectable given the field, but short of what they had hoped for.

“I was hoping we’d place better than last year,” Metz said. “And we did improve, which was one of my personal goals.”

A month later, the pair turned their focus back to Minnesota for the High School State Championship September 6–7 at Lake L’Homme Dieu in Alexandria. Confidence ran high after nationals, but once again, fishing proved unpredictable.

“Pre-fishing was off and on,” Kavanagh said. “Tournament day we had five good fish hooked up, but we lost them all. It just wasn’t our tournament—we were jinxed from the beginning.”

Metz added, “It was pretty hard mentally, but I look back at where I started and where I am now. My first year, I didn’t know anything. Now I can confidently go out and catch fish, and that’s pretty cool.”

For both Kavanagh and Metz, the end of the 2025 season marked the end of an important chapter. Kavanagh, now 18, will be pursuing a career in trades or business, with an eye on fishing local leagues and maybe bigger tournaments if the opportunity arises. Metz, 17, has similar thoughts as they close their CL careers.

Both credit Lindbloom for their growth, not just as anglers but as people. “Gregg has been awesome,” Metz said. “He taught us all these different ways to fish in different conditions. I give all the credit for what I know to Gregg.”

Kavanagh echoed that, saying, “It was really fun. Four years of good fishing and good memories. Jacob and I became not just fishing partners, but friends.”

Metz added a heartfelt thanks to his family. “My parents, Dennis and Maryanne, and my grandparents have been amazing, always supporting me. Nick has been a great mentor too, and now we’re more buddies than just partners.”

The pair also thanked their sponsors profusely for making their trips to nationals possible. The sponsors were Lakes Veterinary Clinic, Plastic Products, Bill’s Auto Body Shop, Frankie’s Live Bait & Marine, Orchin and Orchin, Farm and Thread, The Patriot’s Den, Karma Beauty Room, Marine Dock & Lift, State Farm Insurance — Mike O’Malley, Chelsea Erickson Real Estate Professional and the Chisago Lakes Fishing Team.

For the duo, the 2025 season may not have ended with trophies, but it did end with something deeper—friendship, growth, and the pride of representing Chisago Lakes on a national stage.

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