SALLISAW, Okla. — This is the only their second year competing in organized bass tournaments, but apparently Hunter Colvin and Murph Murphy are fast learners. The two 16 year-old high school sophomores from SEK Fishing in Kansas caught 18 pounds, 3 ounces of Oklahoma bass to win the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster High School Series at Kerr Reservoir.
They topped 42 teams, including some with a great deal of local knowledge and prior tournament success. With the victory, Colvin and Murphy advance to the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship at Kentucky Lake.
It’s not like they haven’t previously telegraphed their rapid ascent. At a Kansas Bass Nation Youth event at La Cygne Lake just over a month ago, they put together a massive 24.88 pound winning five-fish limit that included an 8.88 pound lunker.
The fishing was slightly tougher this time around — although you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the top weights — so after a mixed practice the pair of high school sophomores chose to stay in Sallisaw Creek, close to the ramp, where their efforts had produced a 4-pounder. That single quality fish maximized their confidence and staying close maximized their fishing time. It also allowed them to dial in the proper lure choice and presentation.
“This shows that we have what it takes and can change our ways,” Murphy said. “We started off throwing spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits, but that was dying off. I saw a swim jig on the deck, changed to that, and that’s when we started catching fish.
The particular color and trailer also made a difference: “We fish a white swim jig a lot at home,” Colvin explained. “But the water was really dirty so we switched to a black and blue Googan Squad swim jig with a matching Strike King Rage Menace Grub.”
Because they did not make a long run at any point during competition, Colvin and Murphy were able to stick to their guns and fish later in the day than many other teams. Even though the morning bite tapered off and got tougher in the afternoon, they made a key cull after noon. They suspect that was the fish that provided most or all of their margin of victory over the second place team — a mere 11 ounces.
Their captain, Hunter’s father Travis, has seen the winning team’s progress and watched them strategize and adjust in real time.
“The started fishing last fall with Kansas B.A.S.S. Nation and just continue to get better and more serious,” he said. “Both of them are home-schooled, so they fish four or five times a week, in the rain, no matter what the weather is. This week they figured out what type of grass the bass were using and made it work. It wasn’t the matted grass, but it was the larger clods and the fish were sitting halfway into it. Whenever they had to make a move, they made it. Their changes from the morning to the afternoon are what allowed them to win.”
They’ll still have two more years of high school competition and then both hope to fish at a higher level.
“I hope we can both find a good college to go to,” Murphy said.
Hunter Dickinson and Case Payton of Central Fishing Team earned second with 17-8 while Hudson Mynatt and Wilson Shepherd of Karns High School finished third with 16-8.
The Top 6 teams all had limits, as did four others.
The fourth place team of Jack Sharpe and Patrick Givens of Tennessee’s Sumner County Bass Team caught the Big Bass of the Tournament, a 5-7 largemouth.
This event was hosted by Cherokee Nation.