Hillcrest High angler wins Midwest Shootout

(Photo: submitted photo)Hillcrest High School’s Josh Ruggles turned his one-man show into a winning performance during the National Youth Fishing Association Shootout Oct. 14-15 at Table Rock Lake.

While fishing solo in the championship event, Ruggles caught six bass weighing 11.90 pounds to win the high school division of the tournament and receive $1,250 in scholarship money. His five-bass limit on the second day of the tournament was the only limit weighed in out of 110 high school teams.

Ruggles caught one keeper weighing 1.40 pounds the first competition day, fishing a drop shot rig with a 4-inch green pumpkin Chompers finesse worm about 40 feet deep along a bridge pier. However, his day…