Lewis and Klecker qualify for nationals
Liam Lewis and Max Klecker show off part of their impressive catch. The two caught 13.34 pounds of bass at a tournament at Clearwater Lake earlier this month to qualify for the 2025 Junior Bass National Championship. Submitted photo
Owatonna junior anglers Liam Lewis and Max Klecker qualified for the 2025 Junior Bass National Championship with their win at Clearwater Lake earlier this month.
The two youth anglers compiled a winning total of 13.34 pounds to edge out teammates Quinn Mohs and Mason Ortega for first place.
“It felt great. We were pulling up some good fish, but we didn’t know we were going to win until we got back to shore. When we kept hearing other teams’ numbers, we knew we were going to be close, but winning felt amazing,” said Lewis.
What made the win even sweeter was the fact it was the team’s first time fishing together.
“Friends brought us together. My brother aged out from being able to fish with me, so I needed a partner. Max needed one too, so we decided to fish together,” said Lewis.
According to Lewis’s father, Nick, the two anglers worked extremely well together.
“They’re a lot more calm together than Liam and his brother. They work together well and feed off of one another. It’s no surprise they finished as well as they did,” said Nick Lewis.
The two anglers said one major key to success was a sound pre-fishing strategy.
“Liam wasn’t able to join us for pre-fishing, but Max and I went out, and we were looking for spots with deep cabbage. Really looking for areas with deep weed lines for big fish to hide in,” said Nick Lewis.
After pulling in some sizeable fish, the three hit the water for tournament day and worked their strategy to perfection.
Highlighting the tournament for the squad was Klecker’s 3.93-pound monster that set the team apart from the competition.
“We were throwing spinner baits up in there, and it was in about the first three or four casts that I caught it. It felt great, because I knew that this fish could really help us win the tournament,” said Klecker.
The win was massive for Lewis and Klecker, as only the top team qualified for the national championship.
The specifics of the 2025 national tournament have not been announced yet, but the two are excited to take part in one of the state premier competitions and hope to reel in another win to further build on their team chemistry.