Danville Teens Qualify For Fishing Nationals, Launch Fundraiser

DANVILLE, CA — Two Danville teens could wind up with a lot more than just bass or trout the next time they go fishing: they could win $10,000 and even up to $4 million down the line.

Maddox Mullins, a 14-year-old student at Los Cerros Middle School, and Evan Birck, a 16-year-old at the Athenian School, both qualified for the Student Angler Federation High School Fishing National Championship this June. Evan and Maddox beat out approximately 100 teams at two back-to-back tournaments, including a first-place finish at the Clear Lake Open Challenge on March 22.

The boys have both been fishing for about 10 years, and started fishing with their grandfathers. However, this is only Evan’s second and Maddox’s first season fishing competitively. They’ve made up for lost time. To prepare, they spent hundreds of hours practicing at local waters like Oak Hill Park and Lafayette Reservoir. They also watched countless fishing videos, studied everything they could, and learned from other local fishermen.

“This opportunity means so much to us because we are true underdogs. Many teams at this level come from bass fishing families and have years of experience,” they said.

“Qualifying for the National Championship in our first season fishing together is something we are incredibly proud of, especially because many student anglers fish for years and never get this opportunity,” the boys wrote on a GoFundMe page raising money for their trip to the championships in Kentucky. Between flights, lodging, food, tournament expenses, gear, and towing their boat nearly 5,000 miles, the boys estimate the trip will cost over $10,000 - their entire potential prize money.

Their coach and his wife are driving the boat across the country, and the fundraiser is also hoping to cover some of their travel expenses.

The boys are also planning a fundraising car wash at some point in the future.

The National Championship will be held alongside the High School Fishing World Finals in June in Lake Cumberland, Kentucky. Evan and Maddox will compete against approximately 400 teams across the country to win $5,000 each, along with specialized gear and potential boat prizes. If they win the Worlds championship, they could win up to $4 million in total event rewards.

“This means a lot to us because we’ve spent hundreds of hours fishing, learning, and doing everything we can to improve, and now we have the chance to compete against the best high school anglers in the country,” they said.