Freedom’s Smith signs with CVCC for bass fishing

Clay Smith can’t pinpoint exactly what age he was when he started fishing, but he has loved the sport for about as long as he can remember.

Now he’s set to do it at the college level, as the Freedom High School senior signed his letter of intent on May 16 to join the bass fishing team at nearby Catawba Valley Community College after graduation.

“My dad was the one that got me interested,” said Smith, who plans to major in marine mechanical technology at CVCC. “When we first started out, we trout-fished a lot, then we were talking to some of our buddies, and they were showing us a little bit about bass fishing. It kind of sparked my interest a little, and it just took off.”

Smith has been a member of Freedom’s bass fishing team all four years of high school, which has afforded him the opportunity to fish at a number of different lakes. He has enjoyed traveling, competing, and “meeting all of the people that I’ve got to,” including several soon-to-be teammates.

“Most of my teammates next year at CVCC I’ve met through the high school series,” said Smith, who noted that High Rock Lake on the Yadkin River in central North Carolina “is probably my favorite.”

“I’ve had extremely good luck there and there’s just really big fish in there,” he added. “Lake Norman is also a really fun place to fish. There’s just an insane amount of fish in there, and I don’t think I’ve ever fished there and not caught a limit.”

Smith has been working at Tri-County Marine in Granite Falls for about two years. During that time, he has learned such skills as how to put a motor on a boat, how to service a boat’s water pump, and how to remove the lower unit of a boat.

“I’ve also worked with a few people that go to CVCC,” said Smith, “so they have helped me get started (with the college process).”

In addition to his father, Smith has also been mentored by Brad Harrell, who has assisted the Freedom bass fishing team with fundraising and getting items donated. He is also the one who put Smith in contact with Deep Creek Lures, a bait manufacturer located in Dunn.

“I went and worked a show with them before,” said Smith, “and that gave me the opportunity to get up on a tank and demonstrate some of their baits.”

Dustin Haigler is an agricultural education teacher at Freedom who helped the bass fishing team get off the ground in 2017 and continues to facilitate the squad to this day. He is looking forward to seeing what Smith can do at the next level.

“I think Clay is a highly motivated individual,” said Haigler. “He’s got a strong work ethic and he’s gonna do whatever he sets his mind to. … He’s always been an active voice trying to recruit members and trying to do everything he can to get out on the water and maximize his time out there, and he’s got one of the stronger work ethics I’ve seen since I’ve been here at Freedom.”

Haigler also complimented Smith’s dedication to sportsmanship and his advocacy of “being safe and committed out on the water,” stating that “he’s been a shining example for the rest of the team.”

“He’s not the first one that we’ve sent to CVCC for the bass fishing team, and he probably won’t be the last,” said Haigler. “It’s nice to have local options not just to fish, but to actually get a good education as well. I know CVCC’s got some quality programs, so I’m happy to throw my name in the hat to send some students over there.”

CVCC’s head coach is Angela Mayo, and the Red Hawks perennially boast a successful bass fishing program.