From – Ryan Steinhoff
Member of both 2020 and 2022 Junior World Championship Team’s
Southern Colorado Junior Bass Club
◦ Two-time World Champion. What an amazing ride it’s been. More than anything, the recipe for success needs each of these key ingredients: First, having great partners (Cody Miller in 2020 and Maddie Robertshaw in 2022). Cody is a hammer and he has taught me a lot. Maddie really helped us in key moments, especially when she caught a tank smallie on the championship day. Next, time spent on the water, having a good coach (Sam Heckman) belonging to a great club like the Southern Colorado Jr. Bass club and having an awesome boater like Steve Way. They really helped me take my fishing to the next level. Also, the support that came from the TBF organization (Rod Allen, Colorado TBF president) and the people around the club have helped me turn my dream into a reality.
◦ My first junior world championship title was in 2020 at Mosquito Lake in Ohio. The fishing was tough. The water temps were in the high 80’s and most of the fish we found were on a weed line on a deep point. We were dragging jigs and fishing with Senkos. The fishing was extremely slow and we just kept on grinding it out. It worked and we walked away world champions. It was a great tournament put on by TBF. Thanks again to my partner Cody Miller, Steve Way my boat captain, Sam Heckman, SCJBC President and Rod Allen, TBF Colorado President.
✓ My second junior world championship title was just this past July (2022) on Kentucky Lake in Tennessee. This lake was a lot bigger than what I’m normally use to fishing in Colorado. We found most of our fish on a sand point that extended across a cove. We caught our fish while using crank baits, spinner baits and jigs. We ended up winning with a bag of 12lbs and 5 ounces. Once again, TBF put on a great tournament on a great lake. My partner Maddie Robertshaw was the first female to win the TBF Junior World Title and we were also the first coed team as well. Thanks again to my boater Steve Way, Sam Heckman and Rod Allen.
◦ 5 years ago, when I started fishing with the Southern Colorado Jr Bass Club, I would have never thought that becoming a two-time world champion would have been possible. I just wanted to fish and loved exploring new waters, trying new spots and playing around with baits.
◦ There are so many people that I would like to thank. God, my parents, my partners Cody Miller and Maddie Robertshaw, my boat captain, Steve Way, Rod Allen, TBF and the Southern Colorado Junior Bass Club. I’m looking forward to my next chapter of fishing the High School State Championship’s and any other tournaments that come my way.
