ZEELAND, Mich. — When 19-year-old Colten Dickerson left his hometown of Zeeland for South Africa earlier this month, he carried the hopes of Michigan’s fishing community with him. Now, he’s returned a champion.
Dickerson, the only Michigander on the 13-member U.S. Youth Bass Team, helped lead the United States to gold in the prestigious Tri Nations Bass Fishing Tournament at Loskop Dam. The team clinched the top spot in both catch counts and total points, edging out squads from Zimbabwe and host country South Africa.
Over the three-day event, Dickerson landed nine fish, setting two personal bests, including one largemouth bass weighing 8.5 pounds.
A lifelong outdoorsman, Dickerson first fell in love with fishing through trips with his grandfather and father. He began competing in middle school as a member of the Zeeland Fish Hawx and went on to tournament fish throughout high school.
His success on the water earned him a full-ride scholarship to Southwestern Michigan College, where he is studying mechatronics and robotics while fishing in collegiate competitions.
Earlier this year, Dickerson had received an unexpected call from a USA Bass Team coach inviting him to fill one of six open roster spots for the December tournament. The honor capped a year of milestones, and the experience in South Africa surpassed expectations.
