FLORENCE, Ala. — Alabama high school students may soon take their competitions from the football fields to the fishing ponds.

Outdoors enthusiasts are angling to get the Alabama High School Athletic Association to adopt fishing as an official sport.

They hosted the Alabama High School Bass Fishing Club Tournament Series on March 6 in Decatur to jump-start the movement, and about 20 high schools are fielding fishing teams for the event.

Tournament founder Tim Tidwell says he hopes it will "snowball" and help propel fishing to become an official sport, complete with its own state championship.