Profile of a model high school bass angler

Cassandra Gifford is a recent graduate of Eufaula High School in Alabama and is a model for young men and women.

Gifford started fishing at the age of 3 years old. She went from a small cane pole to a Zebco 33 learning to cast and retrieve. Soon after she caught her first bass and was hooked from that point on.

She fished her first tournament when she was 5 years old winning first place and big fish starting her fishing career with the Junior Teen Anglers. Her bass fishing expertise was published in many magazine and newspaper articles as one of the first girls to give the boys a “run for their money.”

Angler Gifford, fishing in the high school division, has inspired her to pursue professional fishing at a much higher level. Some of the trails and tournaments fished include: East Alabama High School Bass Trail, Alabama Student Angler Bass Fishing Association, Student Angler Federation, FLW, and B.A.S.S. Nation tournaments. She also fished Fishers of Men Legacy tournaments as well as benefit tournaments such as the Lee King, Easter Seals, and Alabama Children’s Classic along with many other local and evening tournaments.

Some of her milestones in bass fishing are:
– More than 100 top 3 finishes.
– Angler of the Year 8 times.
– Won a fishing biathlon 2 times.
– Won a fishing triathlon 2 times.
– Biggest catch was 35.03 lbs. on East Lake Toho, St. Cloud, Florida.
– The biggest sack of high school fishing was 20.02 lbs.
– Biggest tournament fish 7.34 lbs.
– Qualified for the Fishers of Men Legacy National Championship.
– Qualified for the ASABFA Sate Championship 2 times.
– A top 10 finish in the FLW Open on Lake Wheeler.
– Qualified for the B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship on Lake Eufaula.

She invests a lot of time into helping others through things she enjoys. “Helping others truly motivates me to wake up in the mornings, knowing that I can be the one to make a difference. I like to take time that I spend on my own hobbies and turn it into something to help others,” the young lady added.

She has participated in many fishing related events such as the Mentoring Sportsman of Alabama where underprivileged children are taught conservation and hunting and fishing skills along with enjoying the great outdoors. Another activity she participates in is the Department of Natural Resources. The department sponsors two youth fishing rodeos a year, both of which she works with children hands-on. She teaches the kids how to catch fish, bait hooks, cast properly and good sportsmanship.

Gifford helped organize a benefit tournament to help a fellow classmate that had been diagnosed with Leukemia. The tournament raised almost $2,000. She also volunteers at many bass tournaments such as Bass Masters, B.A.S.S. Nation and FLW where she assists in fish care and setting up and take down of tournament site equipment.

The young lady has also worked with Eufaula National Refuge Adopt A Mile and Renew Our Rivers trash clean up, the Humane Society and the Leo Club. With help from “Hope”, her pink tractor, is used to raise money for breast cancer.

This outstanding young lady participated in a score of high school organizations in leadership positions.

She is now working on restoring another tractor from the ground up. The tractor’s name will be “Freedom.” The tractor will be used to raise funds for our fallen heroes and wounded warriors. I hope to partner will Bill O’Reilly to ensure the money raised will help wounded warriors receive track chairs for them to have better mobility and to help support the families of fallen heroes as they have sacrificed so much for my freedom.

As a final thought, Gifford said she was very disappointed after finding out about the B.A.S.S. High School “All American” selection of high school bass anglers. Gifford said, “I wish I would have been better informed so that (I) would have been able to enter an application.”