The Bullard Panther Fishing Club claimed the first place finish at the Texas High School Bass Association’s East Division fishing tournament, held Saturday, Nov. 5, on the waters of Lake Palestine. Currently, the Bullard Panther Fishing Club stands in third place in the THSBA East Division’s Team of the Year contest behind Franklin County and White Oak.

At the tournament, a total of 16 Bullard Panther Fishing Club teams took to the waters of Lake Palestine, competing against 213 teams from several area high schools.

The team had a total score of 53.45 pounds, besting the second place team by nine pounds.

“We did the best that we have ever done at a tournament in the four year history of the THSBA at the Lake Palestine event,” said Tim Haugh, Bullard Panther Fishing Club advisor and president of THSBA. “Usually, we do not do well at events on Lake Palestine, even though the lake is technically in our own back yard. For lack of a better term, we dominated the field at this tournament.”

The Bullard Panther Fishing Club was led by the fishing team duo of Colton Hatcher and Landry Lasseter at the Lake Palestine event with a total of five pounds weighing in at 20.56 pounds.

The first place victory by Hatcher and Lasseter was the second gold finish for the duo this season, having won the first THSBA event on Lake Bob Sandlin in September.

Not to be outdone, the Panther fishing team of Will McAllister and Colby Fergeson also found success on the waters of Lake Palestine, taking home the second place silver finish with a catch of five fish weighing 19.67 pounds.

McAllister and Fergeson also were able to claim a second award at the tournament, tipping the scales with the tournament’s largest bass weighing 9.08 pounds.

“The big fish from Will and Colby is the biggest fish that has been weighed in at a THSBA tournament this year,” said Haugh. “With the top two finishers in our column, we just simply dominated as a fishing club. Obviously, I expect these two particular teams to do well at every tournament we fish in because they are experienced fishermen.”