Bell lands collegiate fishing scholarship at top school

Feb. 13—There was a time when smallmouth bass were an afterthought in BASS professional bass tournaments and New York State was not even on the map of BASS Nation.

And there was a time not so long ago that collegiate bass fishing teams were in there infant stages.

But along came the brown goby invasion to fuel a massive growth in the smallmouth species, the St. Lawrence River and several lakes in New York State now host Bassmaster Elite Tour stops and the the stock of the St. Lawrence River has grown into one of the top ranked fisheries in the country by Bassmaster Magazine.

Lisbon Central senior Connor Bell has come of age amid the growth spurt of New York State fisheries and college fishing while fishing his way through the Northern New Junior Bassmasters Club to the Northern New York Bassmasters Club Team Trail with father, Jason Bell, and other pro fishing tours. This summer he plans to fish American Bass Association, the Bass Fishing League and Major League fishing events in area waters.

On Friday at the Lisbon Central School gym where he honored All-NAC West honors as first year starter, he officially became the first Section 10 Athlete to sign a Letter of Intent to accept a collegiate bass fishing scholarship. He signed with one of the nation's premier programs in the University of Montevallo of Montevallo, Alabama.

In September, he went to Alabama and competed in the 2023 Skeeter Boats Bassmaster High School Combine event. He was one of 112 high school anglers from 22 states. At the event, anglers performed multiple tasks including casting distances, technical, and casting accuracy, handling a boat and electronics, . Connor advanced Day Two, met with a number of coaches and went through intensive interviews. He chose Montevallo which is an NCAA D 2 school which offered him a fishing and academic scholarship which will cover all of his expenses.

"I chose Montevallo because it has a great fishing program and a great department in Business Marketing," said Connor Bell at the signing ceremony.

"I got my start with the Junior Bassmasters Club it was great for me. I think I bring a skill package for fishing smallmouths which will be good for the team. But I love largemouth bass too. I am about 50-50 on which one is my favorite."

Along preparing for collegiate fishing, Bell also acquired good experience in his planne major. He has raising money for his first truck and to help fund the family bass boat operations by mowing lawns, grinding stumps, house remodels and selling firewood.'

"We are very happy to have Connor joing our program. Watching him at the combine and meeting with him and his family I know he will be a great fit for us," said Montevallo Coach Will Crawford who took part in the signing ceremony remotely.

Lisbon Athletic Director Erika Backus organized the event which also involved members of his family and the school system's faculty and administration.

"We are excited and looking forward to what the future holds for Connor! Thank you to all the people who helped to create this night and make it happen," said Ms. Backus.

"I really want to thank Connor for putting Lisbon on the fishing map. He is a great student and athlete who works very hard and has great character," said Lisbon Central School Superintendent Pat Farrand.

"He is a great representative for our school and community."

NNY Junior Bassmasters Club Co-Director Arlene Kiah, who carries out the vision of her late brother Al O'Marah which was the origin of the club, worked with Bassmaster Elite Tour to provide video shutouts from Elite Anglers Cooper Gallant, Jeff Gustafson, Matty Wong and Greg Dipalma and Dave Mercer who serves as the Master of Ceremonies at the Bassmaster Elite Tour weigh-ins.

They all had the same message.

"This a great opportunity. Congratulations. Work hard, learn everything you can on the water and in the classroom and maybe some day we will see you at the Bassmaster Classic."

Bell has acquired a great deal of experience with the Bassmaster Elite Series serving a volunteer at the boat ramps and weigh-in station at the tournaments in Waddington, taking part in NNY Junior Bassmasters meet and greets and last summer he transported a Bassmater Elite photographer in his boat at the tournament in clayton.

His NCAA signing ceremony was the latest in a great deal athletic excitement at Lisbon. Both soccer teams won league and sectional titles and he girls reached the state semi-finals, swimmer Gretchen Braun became the first Section 10 swimmer to win a state title, Ava Murphy has helped Canton Central to NAC and Section 10 Girls Hockey championships and both varsity basketball teams enjoyed excellent regular seasons and are headed into the sectionals.

Montevallo Falcon anglers have been the number one ranked Fishing Team in the Nation for the last three years and lead the current point standings. They have also held the titles of Bass Pro Shops School of the Year and back to back Major League Fishing National School of the Year Titles.

There are now over 600 bass fishing teams across the country in some of the most storied names in collegiate athletics. Montevallo competes against about 170 schools across the country. The team travels throughout the US for fishing tournaments and events and claimed a championship two years on the St. Lawrence River out of Waddington when Clarkson University hosted the BASS Collegiate Championships. Bass Pro Shops, BASS and Major League Fishing all sponors collegiate tourns.

And the season never ends for the Falcons according to Connor's dad and fishing partner Jason Bell. "Montavello fishes a fall, spring and summer tour," he said.

Connor Bell remembers catching his first fish at age three "A big old creek chubb at Coles Creek" recalls his dad.

By the time he was 11 he set his goals of fishing in the college ranks and then becoming a professional angler.