Saturday, Jun. 20, 2009

OUTDOORS: 2 young Kennewick anglers to fish in bass junior nationals

By Rocky Morrow, Herald staff writer

TRI-CITIES Kennewick fishermen Garret McAfee, 18, and Grant Greene, 14, won their respective age divisions at the recent Washington State Bass Fishing Junior State Championship, earning the right to fish later this summer in the national junior championships.

McAfee, a 2009 Kamiakin graduate, reeled in a two-day total of 32.8 pounds to beat out a field of 13 and take the age 15-18 championship during the state event May 30-31 at Potholes Reservoir.

Greene — who will attend Kamiakin this fall as a freshman — hauled in 21.68 pounds to beat by 3.24 pounds his nearest opponent in the age 11-14 bracket.

McAfee said he is pleased the Tri-Cities will have optimum representation in the national championships.

“It’s pretty cool that two Kennewick kids won it, (over kids) from all over the state,” he said.

The pair advanced to the FLW Outdoors National Guard Junior World Championship from July 30-Aug. 2 on the Allegheny River in Kittanning, Pa., near Pittsburgh.

According to Greene, winning the state junior title took a bit of strategy.

“My trick was bed fishing for those two days along the dam at Potholes,” said Greene, who has been “in the boat” since the age of 5 months and caught his first fish as an 18-month old.

His biggest catch thus far?

“Back in October 2006, I went out steelhead fishing and caught a 13-pound steelhead. That was my biggest fish ever, and it tasted excellent,” he said.

Michael Green, Grant’s father, is a longtime angler who is proud of his son’s achievements.

“He’s had to grow up with the big boys of bass fishing, and that makes you grow up fast,” the elder Greene said.

McAfee, meanwhile, is no stranger to fishing area waters — nor is he allergic to taking home hardware, having previously earned the WSBF’s 15-18 division championship on Memorial Day weekend 2006 at Banks Lake.

“I started out at Canyon Lakes, fishing at the ponds,” said McAfee, who was about 10 years old when his appetite for angling took hold.

For McAfee, it’s more a serious hunger, which means a no-nonsense approach towards his gear.

“I’ve gotten the higher quality reels, more expensive poles and different baits,” said McAfee, who is also saving to buy a bass fishing boat.

That’s a goal wholeheartedly supported by his father, Kevin McAfee.

“Quite honestly, I’m a walleye fisherman and he’s asked me to sell him my boat,” Kevin McAfee said. “I said, ‘No, son, you’re going to earn your own money to earn a bass boat.’ ”

Besides the fishing next month, father and son plan to sample some of the rich sports history of the Pittsburgh area, including making a possible stop at Heinz Field — home of the Steelers.

“We plan on going to a Pittsburgh Pirates game — they’re playing the Washington Nationals,” McAfee said.

— Rocky Morrow: 582-1507; sports@tricityherald.com