By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA – On Thursday, the Montevallo duo of Peyton Harris and Dalton Head came from behind in the Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship to edge out Weber International University for the 2023 national championship. Harris and Moody native Head caught 15 bass for a total of 66 lbs and 15 ounces total.
The Montevallo boys closed in on the big prize after finishing day 1 in sixth place and day 2 in third. “Day one, we had some areas and we started on one of our really good areas,” said Head. “You’ve really got to watch the wind because the wind will muddy up your areas. We caught a lot of our weight before 9:00. After that it got muddy. We got to 21 lbs the first day and we were like ‘ok, we are in the hunt.’”
On day two, the team faced a bit of adversity, but found a way to overcome it. “There was a fog delay until 10:00. We were staying over an hour and a half away. We were in the 160’s and we decided we were just going to go to the lock and see if we can get it. We went there and we got in and that was the only way we could have a chance. We caught 19 lbs in 2 hours. After that we were sitting in third.”
There was anticipation as Head and Harris waited for the day 3 announcement of the winner. “When he said we needed 26 lbs and 3 ounces to win, I knew we had 25-plus. I didn’t do the math all day on our fish because I like to under-guess. All day long I didn’t think we had it. As soon as he said our weight, we knew we had won at that point.”
This championship, for Dalton, was possibly years in the making. Dalton lived in Moody all of his life with grandparents who lived in Trussville. That is where his love of fishing began. “My dad and my grandad would take me fishing. My grandad lived in Trussville and I was there more than I was in Moody. I was only in Moody when I had to go to school. My grandad had his boat there and every day, I was in his boat, messing with stuff. I was in his pond trying to get better. It’s always something I’ve wanted to get better at. I played baseball and soccer and my love for those sports always went away. My love for fishing never went away. That’s why I’m just so tied up in it. Baseball and soccer were fun, but in fishing when you fail, it makes you want to do so much better.”
Speaking on his teammates at Montevallo, Dalton said, “When I first came in Freshman year, I came in thinking I was just here to fish and not make friends or anything. That was the wrong mindset. I had the wrong mindset then and there. These guys have made me so much better. They have more experience and being here is a team. It’s like a football team, nothing different. That’s how I would explain it. We are family, not just a team.”
Dalton hopes that this will catapult him to the next level of fishing. “This has ignited that fire for me. I’ve always told people that I just need one opportunity. One shot at it. I need everything to go right just one time. This tournament finally gave me a shot. I’ve always wanted to do this for a living. My family has always know that about me. This is all I’ve ever wanted. I would love to further my career in bass fishing. My dad always told me to find something that I love to do and I’ll never work a day in my life.
Danny had the following to say about Dalton’s love for fishing. “I honestly think I remember him being born with a fishing pole in his hand. Dalton was fishing probably before he was walking. I took him to my parents’ pond in Trussville when he was small enough that he could stand in the live well so I didn’t have to worry about him falling overboard. He’s always loved fishing. He fished for Moody in high school, starting in 7th grade. I’ve been a tournament fisherman for over half my life so I knew if he was going to be competitive, we would have to get to work. He has a God-given talent for it. To see him excel in this sport and in this school has made me realize I have raised a fantastic young man.”
To say this is a big deal to this proud father would be an understatement. “Watching weigh ins like that might be the death of me. I have never been more nervous in my life. When the last team fell short, I was overwhelmed with emotions. My boy did it!!! He is a champion!”
Indeed, Dalton is a champion. He and his teammate Peyton won a $43,500 prize package including $10,000 and a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat as well as automatic entry into the 2023 Toyota Series Championship to compete as pros for a shot to win up to $235,000.