Central Texas Girl and Dad Win 1st Place at Texas State Bass Tournament

WACO, TX (KWTX) – A Central Texas father and his 10-year-old daughter are bass fishing champions after winning first place in the team division of the Texas State Bass Tournament on Lake Whitney in which the youngster was the only child entered .

Hannah Kate Talbert, a fourth-grader at China Spring Intermediate, fished alongside her dad, Jared, in the adult competition.

“Hannah Kate and I have decided that we will enter this tournament and although they have an adult/girls division, we have decided that we will try our luck with the team division and fish against all the adults,” said Jared.

The single entry paid off as the girl and her dad grabbed 32.79 pounds over the two-day tournament, beating second place by more than two pounds.

Hannah Kate was quick to respond to her favorite part of time with dad.

“Getting to hold a big bass,” she smiles.

The father-daughter duo have been fishing together since Hannah Kate was old enough to sit down.

Her mom has a photo of her holding a fish all by herself at just 20 months old.

This fishing tournament was only the second that Hannah Kate had participated in and the winning cast was the last.

Jared said it was a great teaching moment for his daughter.

“We had a good lesson in going all the way, anything can happen, keep fighting,” Jared said.

Jared said the time spent on the lake with his daughter, bringing home the prized plaque and some good bragging rights make it a memory he will cherish for a lifetime.

“It was fun to have that experience with Hannah Kate,” he said. “It was his second bass tournament. His first to win and as the father of Hannah Kate, it’s a very fun and memorable experience that we’ll have to talk about for years.

Jared and Hannah Kate have not yet scheduled the next competition, but say they will fish in any tournament where children are allowed.

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