MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake native Jarred Walker helped put the state in the spotlight during the recent Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship in Georgia.

Walker and his fishing partner Nick Barr represented Eastern Washington University in the bass fishing event held earlier this month on Georgia's Lake Chatuge. The pair won fourth place in the contest, the only team from the Western region to rank in the Top 10, Walker said.

Walker said about 68 teams from all over the country participated in the three-day event.

"It was awesome just going over there to a body of water we've never fished in and being able to adapt to the situation," he said. "It definitely impressed the bass fishing community that two kids from the Northwest could go and fish competitively against some of the guys that have grown up on that body of water."

The pair brought in 14 fish weighing a total of 34 pounds, 8 ounces over the course of the tournament to earn their fourth-place spot.

Walker said their ranking in the national championship earned them a berth to September's Carhartt Bassmaster Bracket Championship in Michigan.

"The top four teams from this tournament qualify to do a bracket style fish-off," he said.

Walker said each of the teams are comprised of a boater and a non-boater. During the bracket championship, the boaters will be paired to fish against each other as will the non-boaters, he said.

Barr is EWU's boater and Walker is the team's non-boater.

"So I'll be fishing against another non-boater and if I beat him, I advance to the next day," Walker said. "On the last day the best boater and the best non-boater fish against each other."

The winner on the last day wins a "Living the Dream" package, which consists of the use of a truck and bass boat for one year, Walker said. The winner will also get to fish in the Bassmaster Open tournaments and the Bassmaster Classic, he said.

Walker said ESPN will air the college championship again on Aug. 11 and 18.

Walker said he grew up around fishing.

"My whole family has fished, so growing up it was something I did on and off," he said. "When I got done with college football it was a no-brainer to start doing this."

XThe 2008 Moses Lake High School grad played football at Washington State University before transferring to Eastern, according to his mom, Julee Walker. He's been on the EWU fishing team for two years, she said.