HPHS Junior to Host Fourth Annual Fishing Camp

Highland Park High School junior Cullum Brown hopes young anglers get hooked on fishing this summer during his fourth annual fishing camp.

Brown will hold three sessions of C’s Fishing Camp! for kindergartners through fourth graders from 9 to 11 a.m. on June 3 to 6, June 10 to 14, and Aug. 5 to 8. Camp costs $125 per session, a price which includes fishing rods and bait. Spots are filling fast, but Brown said there is still space available in his August camp. Young fishers can email Brown at [email protected] with questions or to reserve a spot.

Brown, who is pesident of the Highland Park Bass Team, started fishing with his father when he was very young. His interest in the sport grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he started fishing more often on Lake Athens. 

He started competing in tournaments in eighth grade, first with partner Cole Drysdale, and later with his current partner Dylan Sorrells. Brown and Sorrells have since racked up three Metroplex Division Angler of the Year wins in the Texas High School Bass Association tournament series, along with the 2021 The Bass Federation Junior World Championship.

Brown said his dedication and patience mesh well with Sorrells’ fishing instincts and ability to choose the right bait. The pair are sponsored by JB3 Rods, which provides them with rods that will work with anything they want to throw.

Brown and former partner Drysdale will team up for the camp’s August session. Brown will find extra help for the other sessions of camp, which he was inspired to start by his then five-year-old brother Bishop’s interest in the sport. 

The first year of fishing camp at Williams Park was a success for Bishop and 20 to 24 other kids. The camp has since grown to close to 40 participants. “It’s been awesome,” Brown said. “I’m really excited and looking forward to getting to do it this year.”

Brown said his favorite part of camp is seeing the kids’ excitement when they catch a fish. Over the years, campers have nabbed everything from bream and catfish to even a few bass. Sometimes when the fish aren’t biting, Brown and his young anglers will take a break to play football in the park.

One of Brown’s favorite memories was when a younger camper caught a bass that weighed about three pounds.

“It was so cool to see him, this little, tiny rod fighting this giant fish,” Brown said. “He wanted to hold it and all that. It was awesome.”

Brown hopes to continue C’s Fishing Camp! in the future, despite the challenges of balancing camp and his schedule. “I really do enjoy getting to share my knowledge of fishing with the kids.”