Fishing is a ‘passion’ for senior, the reigning ‘King of the Coosa’

For some, fishing is merely a hobby, but for Jack Alexander — a senior at Mountain Brook High School — it’s much more.

“I’m so passionate about it because I enjoy the process, the highs and lows, and can’t live without it physically or mentally,” he said.

“For Jack, it’s a passion, and I can’t emphasize that enough,” said his father, Chris Alexander.

Jack is captain of the MBHS bass fishing team, which includes anglers from grades 8 through 12 and competes in tournaments in Alabama and other states.

In December, Jack won the title of “King of The Coosa” on the ASABFA (Alabama Student Angler Bass Fishing Association) Bass Fishing Trail for the second straight year.

He beat out more than 200 anglers from dozens of school districts who competed at a series of four tournaments last fall at Logan Martin, Lake Jordan, Neely Henry and Lay Lake. Jack won a $2,500 scholarship plus some other prizes.

“It’s very exciting because the competition around here is insane,” Jack said. “I’ve made some really good friends who can straight catch them with the best, and whenever you come out on top it’s a big deal.”

“I’m incredibly proud of (Jack) and what he has accomplished,” his father said.

As many as 250 to 300 competitors take part in ASABFA events, adding to the level of competition Jack faces, his dad said.

“For him to progress and mature in this sport he has had to work very hard,” Chris said.

The first ASABFA tournament took place in September, and the final event took place in early December at Neely Henry.

To win the overall championship, Jack had to amass the highest composite points score. The ASABFA uses points from an angler’s three best events.

Jack finished fourth in the final event, and won the “King of the Coosa” title by one point over the next competitor from Oak Mountain.

This is his fourth year on the fishing team at MBHS, and his second year as captain.

The team is not officially part of MBHS athletics, Chris said.

Jack enjoys being part of the team, in part due to the camaraderie at events.

“I enjoy coming back to the ramp after a good or bad tournament and seeing people from Mountain Brook,” he said. “Sometimes I’m the only boat or person at tournaments and it’s not nearly as fun.”

Chris admires his son’s dedication to the sport.

“Virtually everything he has done to improve and learn he has accomplished on his own,” he said. “I do fish some, but in comparison to Jack, I’m a novice at best. His level of commitment to competing in this sport is hard to put into words. I wish I had as much drive and determination as he does when I was his age.”

This fall, Jack plans to fish for one of the top national college programs, such as the University of North Alabama, the University of Montevallo or Troy University.

“I’m looking forward to college and furthering my competition against another level of anglers,” he said.

He hasn’t made a final choice on a major but wants to be a part of the outdoor industry.

“I believe the best avenue to achieve that will be with a marketing degree,” he said.

He would like to become a professional fisherman but said this “is not cheap or easy.”

“But I will most certainly try to once or twice, and if it doesn’t pan out, I’ll fish bigger local tournaments … and hopefully work within the industry,” he said.