Ligon signs with Emmanuel College bass fishing team

When Scooter Ligon first started fishing, it was just as a hobby.
Now, the recent Lumpkin County High School graduate is preparing to take his favorite hobby to the collegiate ranks, and make some history on the way.
Ligon became the first ever Lumpkin County student to accept a scholarship for bass fishing this spring, signing with Emmanuel College.
Ligon, who was a baseball standout at Lumpkin as well, had the opportunity to play baseball at the next level as well but opted instead to commit to the fishing team.
“I always wanted to play baseball but I was given this opportunity and it was a no-brainer,” Ligon said. “Getting paid to fish, I can’t complain.”
As for deciding to sign with Emmanuel, Ligon said that was an easy decision as well.
“It was close and they had a fishing team and they were going to give me money to do it,” he said.
Ligon said he never expected to have the opportunity to go to college for fishing and now looks to make the most of the opportunity.
“I’d like to thank God for the opportunity and then I’m thankful Coach [Steven] Wells and Coach Pam [Martin-Wells] gave me the opportunity at Emmanuel,” he said. “And then also Nicky Jenkins, because he started the fishing team. If that would’ve never been started then we wouldn’t be sitting here, my mom and dad financially and all the advice they’ve given me and all my friends.”
The bass fishing team is relatively new at Lumpkin, with last year being the third season for the team. Head coach Joseph Jones said that Ligon’s mark on the program is a big one.
“It’s huge for him obviously. For me, looking at it, it’s another thing that’s going to keep him motivated to stay in college, but it’s big for the school too,” Jones said. “It’s cool and it shows these younger kids that like to fish too that ‘Man, I can go to college and do that.’ It’s another motivational tool to help those kids out. It’s pretty cool for the school. It is the first one.”
Ligon plans to major in mathematics at Emmanuel en route to eventually getting into an engineering program.
The Lumpkin grad said he’s most excited about making new friends at Emmanuel.
“I’m excited to meet all the new people, that’s going to be fun,” Ligon said. “I’ll still talk to my friends here and stuff but I’m excited to meet all the new people. There’s some good kids over there.”
As for the fishing team, Ligon is especially excited to meet his new team.
“It’s you and a partner,” he said. “I think there’s 12 teams so there’s 12 boats with two partners and you get a boat and you get a partner and you go all over the country and fish with that partner and your team. You lodge as a team, so we all stay in one house and spend that time together. It’ll be fun.”
And while the excitement lies ahead for Ligon, he’ll be taking a piece of Lumpkin County with him.
“I’m definitely going to take away all the friendships and stuff made,” he said. “All the coaches and teachers and stuff here are great people. I had lots of fun….I hope that everyone thought of me as a friend, somebody that they could go to and maybe look up to.”