PORT BARRE — Senior Bennet Fontenot has been fishing and catching since he was a kid. Through commitment, hard work, and dedication, he’s earned national recognition.
“It's peaceful, it's where I get away from everything, it just relieves all anxiety, stress or anything like that. I'm just at peace out here,” Fontenot shared.
The calm of the water has given Fontenot balance since he was young.
“It's just been a passion for me. I really love to do it and enjoy being around the people that I am in the industry,” he added.
Bass fishing is a catch-and-release sport, and success takes teamwork. Fontenot credits his friends, family, and fishing partners for his achievements.
“One of my very good buddies and my partner last year, Braxton Spyrer, actually just recently signed to Northwestern State University and he's fishing there now.Um,he's helped me get there and accomplish everything it has now, and my family and friends, my dad and my mom always there supporting me,” Fontenot said.
Fontenot’s dedication stems from a promise he made to his father as a child.
“I cut out a little fish.It was like a little goldfish looking thing, and I had written on it to Dad from Bennett. And I said, Dad, I'm gonna walk across that Bassmaster Classic stage one day. And I told him I'm gonna do it, and I'm for sure I got to do it. That's just,that's just a drive in me. If I tell somebody I'm gonna do it,” he recalled.
The Port Barre senior has won $300,000 in scholarships and been named one of the top bass fishers in the country, including being a Bass Anglers Sportsman Society High School All-American.
“It takes a lot of mental, mental and physical toughness for sure, man. It's,it's like you said, it's not easy at all. You have to be very well physical condition to be able to stand on a boat in the waves all day rocking back and forth, but at the end of the day it really pays off for sure,” he noted.
For Fontenot, fishing is about more than trophies.
“I don't want to be remembered by fishing i want to be remembered as the guy that helped people. Your not going to be remembered forever and say like as a professional fisherman but you'll be remembered for a longer time then you would then a professional fisher man as a humble guy willing to help everybody there for everybody if they need and all that good stuff you know,” he said.
Fontenot is headed to LSUS, one of the top schools in bass fishing, ranked 7th overall in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year standings. His journey from Saint Landry Parish to the national stage is just getting started.
I’m Anthony Council with KATC Sports.
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