WATKINSVILLE — When Oconee County High School senior Churchill Harris’ bass fishing partner backed out on him this spring season, he turned to his sister, Tinsley, a freshman.
“I have a few secrets when I’m fishing,” he said. “I can’t let anyone else hear about them, so I was like, ‘Well, she won’t snitch.’”
In their first tournament together, in March, the Harris siblings had to find a way to work as a team to qualify for the state tournament. After fishing from sunrise to sunset, the duo developed a strategy.
“He goes at the front of the boat and makes excellent casts under rocks and branches,” Tinsley said. “Then I have to watch from the back of the boat, which is difficult sometimes. It’s our sibling bond that makes things 10 times easier.”
After a long day on the boat at that first tournament, Churchill felt defeated. The team needed one more fish to qualify for state. With just minutes remaining, Tinsley secured their spot.
“We needed one more, and I missed one,” Churchill said. “She threw her line in there and she caught the fish that I missed, and we qualified by the skin of our teeth. She saved the day.”
A new partner, Campbell Patterson, will join Churchill at the state tournament Saturday on Lake Lanier, where Churchill will be vying to finish in the top 10 for a third season. There will be 112 boats, or pairs of anglers, competing for the championship.
Churchill, who also plays lacrosse for Oconee County, is gaining more from fishing than wins. It has built his self-confidence and, this season, strengthened his bond with his sister.
“Having her in my boat brightens my day,” Churchill said. “It’s someone I can easily work together with.”
Their bond is not the only factor that contributed to the siblings’ fishing successes.
“It’s almost like it’s in their DNA,” Oconee County bass fishing coach Blake Mooney said. “They have fishing in their blood.”
The Harris siblings got their passion for fishing from their father, Sam Harris, who has been fishing since he was 8 years old. As soon as Churchill was old enough to hold a rod in his hand, his father had him out in the boat.
“I remember him watching the ‘Curious George’ fishing episode,” his dad said. “That’s the episode he wanted to watch all the time.”
From a young age, Churchill has been fishing with his father for fun and in tournaments, enjoying a little friendly competition. In one tournament, Sam Harris seemingly forgot to weigh his fish.
“I guess I won,” Churchill said. “By default.”
Years of fishing alongside his father and reeling in big fish at a young age gave Churchill the confidence to be the person that he is today. The young angler used to be too shy to speak in class.
“Now he’s the guy who goes out there in the middle of the field and fights for the ball in face off or he’s up front and center as the captain,” Sam said of Churchill’s approach to lacrosse. “We constantly are like, ‘I cannot believe that’s the same kid who at age 10, you couldn’t even bribe him to go interact.’”
Churchill’s interactions with other teammates are proof that bass fishing has built up his self-confidence, but his interactions with his sister are proof they can get beyond the occasional sibling bickering.
“It’s a very unique aspect that they have to be able to work together,” Churchill’s lacrosse coach, Wyatt Burgess, said. “They have to get along in the house, let alone out fishing too.”
With Churchill heading to UGA for college in the fall, Tinsley values her precious time with him spent on the lake during his final few months living at home.
“Since he’s going to college this year, I’ve been wanting to find more time to spend with him,” Tinsley said. “It definitely has brought us a lot closer.”
Anna Williams is a student in the University of Georgia’s undergraduate Sports Media Certificate program.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
