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2021 Junior World Championship Heads To Quad Cities, Il on the Mississippi River – July 28-30, 2021

PONCA CITY, OKLA. (3/30/2021) – The Bass Federation Inc. (TBF) announced today that the 2021 TBF Junior World Championship (JWC) is about to kick off this week July 28-30 on the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities bi-state regional destination in Illinois and Iowa.

The 2021 JWC includes a two-person team format and three days of competition, launching from Rapids City, Illinois. The TBF Junior program includes all anglers 8th grade and under at the time they qualified through their home state’s Junior program. 40 of the top Junior angler teams from across the nation will attend and compete for their share of well over $15,000 in scholarships and event prizes.

Historically, the Junior World Championship (JWC) is held in conjunction with the Federation’s Annual State Leadership Conference which once again will also be hosted with the JWC in the Quad Cities.

The Annual TBF State Leadership Conference invites 49 TBF affiliated state federations in the US and Canada to send state official(s) to attend meetings on fishing, youth and conservation items, strategic planning, educational sessions, how to operate their local & state events safely in the era of COVID-19 as well as annual elections of TBF national directors.

There is no better way to socially distance than by going fishing. Regardless, event officials noted extra safety steps will be taken for both events. Federation officials have worked with health experts across the nation to develop COVID-19 compliant conference, weigh-in, meetings, and other safety measures that will be used during all our events for as long as needed. TBF officials noted these safety measures will help keep participants and communities safe while still doing their part to help the economy, people, and businesses in our country get back to work.

“The relationship that Visit Quad Cities and our regional destination has with The Bass Federation is extremely important, said Dave Herrell, President, and CEO, Visit Quad Cities. “Hosting the 2021 TBF Junior World Championship and activating our world-renowned Mississippi River is a huge win for the QC. Not only do we have the privilege to serve as host of the Championship, but also the Annual State Leadership Conference which brings TBF affiliated state federations from all over the country and Canada for meetings and discussion topics such as fishing, youth, and conservation, and much more. This will be a multi-day event opportunity and we are thrilled about July on the river.”

“The Quad Cities is the perfect fit for these events,” TBF President and CEO Robert Cartlidge said. “The Quad Cities are centrally located in the U.S. for our travelers from every state and there are lots of things in the area for the families to see and do.  There should be plenty of fish to be caught by these young championship anglers because with input from the DNR we have chosen pools on the Mississippi River that are doing well. We are excited as it should be a fun event.”

Many of today’s top pro anglers started in the TBF Junior program.  A few examples are; Jacob Wheeler (IN) fished the 2006 JWC; Shane Lehew (NC) won the 2007 JWC, and 2017 Forrest Wood Cup winner Justin Atkins (MS) in the 2008 JWC.  More recently, the 2020 TBF Federation National Champion Living The Dream angler Lance Freeman (KY) started out by fishing the TBF Kentucky Junior program.

About Visit Quad Cities – Founded in 1990, Visit Quad Cities is the official Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO) for the region.  Visit Quad Cities is a private 501(c)(6) non-profit engine charged with driving economic opportunity through tourism, building our authentic brand, telling & selling the Quad Cities story, and enhancing Quad Citizens’ quality of life and quality of place. For more information, visit us online at visitquadcities.com and connect with us on social media.

About The Bass Federation – The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is a member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. TBF is owned by those we serve and is dedicated to the sport of fishing. The Federation is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing, youth, and conservation organization there is. TBF, our affiliated state federations, and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 events each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for nearly 50 years. TBF founded the Student Angler Federation and the National High School Fishing program in 2007 to promote clean family fun and education through fishing. Visit bassfederation.com or highschoolfishing.org and “LIKE US” on Facebook.

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Millwood Lake Plays Host to The Bass Federation District 6 National Semifinal – Arkansas vs Oklahoma

Eighty anglers, made of representatives from Arkansas and Oklahoma, converged on Millwood Lake, in southwest Arkansas, the weekend of June 19 & 20 to compete in The Bass Federation District 6 National Semifinal tournament.

The anglers were competing for 4 spots in The Bass Federation National Championship tournament next spring.

Congratulations to Stephen Tyson Jr (Arkansas Boater) and Jeff Stephenson (Arkansas Non-boater) for the wins on Millwood Lake.

Stephen Tyson Jr and Jeff Stephenson will be representing Arkansas next spring in the TBF National Championship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to the top Oklahoma anglers. Dean Matts (Oklahoma Boater) and Shawn Lewis (Oklahoma Non-boater). Dean and Shawn will represent Oklahoma in the TBF National Championship.

Boater Top 3 – 2 Day Total

  1. Stephen Tyson Jr (AR) 31.03 lbs
  2. Doug Thompson (AR) 27.66 lbs
  3. Blake Wilson (AR) 26.74 lbs

Non – Boater Top 3 – 2 Day total

  1. Jeff Stephenson  (AR)     18.24 lbs
  2. Andy Brown (AR)             16.99 lbs
  3. Austin Rose   (AR)            16.82 lbs

12th Annual High School Fishing World Finals & National Championship heads to Anderson, SC and Lake Hartwell

12th Annual High School Fishing World Finals & National Championship heads to Anderson, SC and Lake Hartwell

Record field expected to attend, nearly 3 Million in scholarships & prizes up for grabs.

The premier High School Fishing event in the world is set to begin June 30-July 3 in Anderson, SC on Lake Hartwell, from Green Pond Landing event center. The 12th Annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship has over 400 teams registered.  A team consists of 3 people to a boat, 2 High School anglers and their adult boat Captain /Coach, that alone equates to more than 1200 participants from 41 states and 2 foreign countries as far away as Zimbabwe, South Africa, plus all their families and friends. Several thousand people will be added to the Anderson population for a week or so.

The student anglers pay no entry fee to compete in this one-of-a-kind dual event, the World Finals portion is the granddaddy of them all where most of the prizes and scholarships are awarded and the most difficult to win. It is open to any SAF member in the nation, so everyone attending will be competing in the World Finals for prizes totaling nearly 2.5 million dollars. At the same time on the dual-stage the top anglers from all SAF sanctioned events and MLF events nationwide qualify to compete in a national championship event with its own set of prizes and scholarships totaling nearly $500,000.  Which puts nearly 3million dollars in scholarship and prizes up for grabs.

The unique format was developed with feedback from the parents and families over the last 12 years. In the competitive arena there is just no way around travel for the anglers, industry staff and partners. It is expected in fishing and is no different than baseball, softball, cheer or dance team championships or any other high school sport. The two events are conducted together as a dual event to save travel, costs and vacation time for the families while giving any youth from anywhere, any background or economic strata and a chance to come and earn a life-changing educational opportunity if they can and experience the comradery of an event this size where lifetime friendships are made.

“We are very proud to be working with the TBF/SAF and hosting the High School World Finals and National Championship at Green Pond Landing, Lake Hartwell and Anderson County!” Stated Neal Paul Executive Director of Visit Anderson. “The future in bass fishing is our high school anglers and we look forward to hosting the anglers and their families in our community. Our team at Anderson County has worked extremely hard to ensure that we continue to be a destination for bass fishing. Green Pond Landing, a nationally recognized facility, and Lake Hartwell, a Top 100 Bass Lake in America, will once again provide our guests with a Championship Experience!”

Few places can accommodate 400 plus teams on the water for a week, but Lake Hartwell and Green Pond Landing is state of the art and can do it easily.   So, June 30-July 3, 2021 will find the Championship anglers on the massive border waters between South Carolina and Georgia of Lake Hartwell at Anderson, SC., and Weighing in at the newly revamped Green Pond Landing Event center each day starting at 1:30 pm ET. The event is free to attend and open to the public.  The event is also being filmed for National television on the Pursuit Channel and other Networks. LIVE coverage and leaderboards will run each day on www.HighSchoolFishing.org  and Facebook www.facebook.com/hsfishing

“We are excited to be heading to Anderson, SC, it is a place that “makes you feel like home” no matter where you are from and there is lots for the families to see and do. The residents of Anderson should be very proud of your Visit Anderson tourism group as they have worked very hard to showcase your community and make the kids feel welcome.” Stated The Bass Federation’s President and CEO Robert Cartlidge.

“The question I get asked often is why High School Fishing?”  Cartlidge continued. “The answer is may not be what many would think. It is not about being the next “pro angler” or getting sponsor patches on your shirt.” Those all may or may not be by-products.  We started the national High School movement for 3 reasons. One, we felt that youth across all sectors needed clean family fun and to live and learn in the outdoors as many of us did when we were young. So, the purpose was to use fishing to get kids outdoors with an adult mentor and with the intent of not just educating about common sense, manners, and ethics, but about math, science, and language arts and why those are important to fishing yes, but also to life in general.  Two, we wanted to provide education opportunities. Not just college, but trade school too, as our country was built by and still needs trades and skilled craft people. College is not for everyone, especially in today’s world. Education opportunities are what we are after.”  Three, we did not want the program to be about money, so from the start neither SAF/TBF nor our partners in fishing at MLF, who was among the first to join our SAF movement and grow it side by side with us, requires any entry fees for our regular High School events nor do we pay cash to kids at High School events. It is always prizes & scholarships. The result has been the explosion we currently see in high school fishing participation nationwide and thanks to the support of our industry partners, our host communities like Visit Anderson and the Parents and Boat Captains/Coaches/Mentors that make it all happen.  We thank each and every one of them and are excited to be a part of that and to showcase these young people in Anderson, SC.”

 

The popular four-day High School Fishing World Finals and National championship combined event format is a very unique structure where all anglers compete for three days in a format with a second chance round, much like any other double elimination High School sport. It is designed to keep everyone competitive and in the game until the final day cut. For full details, check out HighSchoolFishing.org. You can get your club affiliated with SAF and compete!  All TBF, SAF and MLF High School Fishing events are no entry fee events. To register, anglers only need to be a member of the Student Angler Federation (SAF) which is a mere $25 per year and includes competitor SAF and MLF memberships. It is as easy as completing the online registration at HighSchoolFishing.org.

About The Bass Federation

The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is a member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. TBF is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. The Federation is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing, youth and conservation organization there is. TBF, our affiliated state federations, and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 events each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for 50 years. TBF founded the Student Angler Federation and the National High School Fishing movement in 2007 to promote clean family fun and education through fishing. Visit bassfederation.com or highschoolfishing.org and “LIKE US” on Facebook.

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