From baseball to bass fishing: Fremont's Gallagher takes third in Bassmaster College Series

FREMONT — How does a kid from northwest Ohio who was a baseball star in high school end up on the stage at the prestigious Bassmaster Classic? For starters, plenty of practice. Grant Gallagher left behind baseball for a spot on the Adrian College fishing team, and he's been just as good on the water as he was as a shortstop for Fremont Ross. Gallagher and fishing partner Tyler Van Brandt finished third in the Bassmaster College Series in early March in Birmingham, Alabama. They got to experience the big stage on the final day of the tournament, which was held the weekend before the country began shutting down due to the coronavirus. "We came in early (from fishing) and got on the stage," Gallagher said. "It was a huge arena with flashing lights and a fog machine. We were all in shock. It was something I dreamed about for so long. To experience it was crazy. "I get goosebumps thinking about it now." The team from the small college in Michigan was one of 13 to qualify for the finals and was the first Adrian team to make the finals. Gallagher and Van Brandt caught five bass weighing 12 1/2 pounds on a sunny day on Lay Lake, about 45 minutes south of Birmingham. "We were fishing current breaks, anywhere a tree or big rocks deflect the current where fish could sit and wait for food to go by," he said. He used a black and blue Finesse jig and a white chatterbait. "The jig had a blade on it; it's the ugliest thing ever," Gallagher said. "It put off a ton of vibration and the fish can feel it." To get to the finals, the Adrian team had to qualify a week earlier on Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. They fished shallow bluff walls and finished eighth out of 259 boats in the three-day tournament. Among the 15 bass the Adrian team weighed was a 4-pound spotted bass caught by Gallagher. "We had to commute all the way back to Michigan, and three days later we headed back," Gallagher said. "You've got to drive in this sport." All the driving was worth it. "It's great that we get national recognition. To see such a small school thrive like that is awesome," Gallagher said. "What other Division III school can compete against Clemson or Alabama? The fish don't care if you're white or black, rich or poor." The day before the March 8 finals, Gallagher and his family took in the scene at the Bassmaster outdoors expo. "We made some connections with people in the industry, hopefully for future sponsorships," Gallagher said. "It was a lot of walking around and talking to people you see on TV. "I got to see all my heroes. To stand next to them at the convention was awesome. It was neat to pick their brains." Gallagher had never heard of Adrian College until his junior year in high school. A family friend, Bobby Johns, attended a sports show in Novi, Michigan, where he chatted up Adrian coach Seth Borton. He told Borton about Gallagher, who loved to fish for walleye with his father, Gregg. "We were big-time walleye fishermen," Gallagher said. "They taste so good." When Gallagher found out that Adrian had a fishing team and paid for trips to tournaments, he was hooked. The walleye would have to wait. "We sent (Borton) some video of me fishing so he knew I was a legit fisherman and not someone pulling his leg," Gallagher said. "You can get recruited in this sport. I tell people that and they say, 'no way.' " The prospect of fishing competitively agreed with Gallagher, who considered playing college baseball. He was a two-time captain and an all-conference and all-district selection at Ross. "I started falling in love with fishing even more," he said. "Of course, all of my friends hadn't heard of (Adrian). They have small classes and I fell in love with the campus. This isn't like Ohio State. If you have a question you can go right to the professor." There are 30 anglers on the Adrian team, one who came to the school from Montana. Adrian will soon wrap up classes for the school year, but Gallagher is staying sharp, practicing casting techniques and participating in online discussions. The next scheduled tournament for Adrian's team is in early May in northern Michigan, but there's no guarantee that will happen. "The season never ends," said Gallagher, an early childhood education major who someday wants to be a walleye and smallmouth bass guide on Lake Erie. "There's eight or nine months of fishing and the months off you're at sports shows talking to people." And when an angler isn't talking, he's fishing. "Our coach stresses time on the water — fish, fish, fish," Gallagher said. "We don't get as much time on the water as the schools do in the South, but our team motto is 'Find a Way.' "