Bass Pro Sponsors High School Opens
Outdoor retailer becomes new title sponsor
FLW and Bass Pro Shops, a leading national retailer of outdoor gear and apparel, announced today a partnership supporting nationwide high school fishing tournaments in an effort to promote both organizations and grow the sport. Effective immediately, Bass Pro Shops will assume title sponsorship of the FLW High School Fishing Opens.
“FLW and Bass Pro Shops share the same passionate audience,” says FLW President of Marketing Trish Blake. “Both organizations excel within the outdoors industry. By forming this partnership, we are able to leverage each other's strengths and build upon the synergies between us.”
The 2017 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Open series features is a 24-event schedule for High School Fishing anglers around the country. The tournaments are free to enter, and the top 10 percent of teams in each event advance directly to the High School Fishing National Championship, held June 27-July 1 on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. Qualifiers in tournaments held after June 10 will advance to the 2018 High School Fishing National Championship.
“Bass Pro Shops is deeply committed to helping young people connect with nature through fishing and outdoor recreation,” says noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder/CEO Johnny Morris. “We are very proud to support Fishing League Worldwide and their efforts to grow the sport of fishing with anglers of all ages.”
Per terms of the agreement, Bass Pro Shops will receive exposure at more than 274 FLW-sanctioned bass fishing tournaments and Expos, and through multiple FLW media channels, which include FLWFishing.com and FLW Bass Fishing magazine. Bass Pro Shops gift cards will be featured each month in the FLW Monthly Member Giveaways, and the brand will headline exclusive content across FLW’s social media outlets, which are viewed by hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts.
In addition to the High School Fishing events, Bass Pro Shops will also be the presenting sponsor of multiple YETI FLW College Fishing tournaments. Select tournaments across all circuits will have registration and/or weigh-in hosted at Bass Pro Shops store locations, and FLW will be showcased in the annual Bass Pro Shops Gone Fishing events planned for summer.
Visit FLWFishing.com for more details or to find out how to start a High School Fishing club at your school.
2017 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing Opens:
- May 6 – Wisconsin Open & Iowa State Championship – Mississippi River @ La Crosse
- May 13 – Missouri Open – Truman Lake
- May 14 – California Open & State Championship – California Delta
- May 20 – Virginia Open & State Championship – Claytor Lake
- June 3 – Minnesota Open – Mississippi River
- June 10 – Michigan Open & State Championship – Detroit River
- Sept. 9 – Louisiana Open – Ouachita River
- Sept. 16 – Maryland Open – Potomac River
- Sept. 23 – Pennsylvania Open – Raystown Lake
- Sept. 30 – Indiana Open – Lake Monroe
- Oct. 7 – Illinois Open – Lake Springfield
- Oct. 14 – New York Open – Oneida Lake
- Oct. 21 – Oklahoma Open – Grand Lake
- Oct. 28 – Ohio Open – Caesar Creek
- Nov. 4 – Kentucky Open – Lake Cumberland
- Nov. 18 – Tennessee Open – Norris Lake
- Dec. 2 – Georgia Open – Lake Lanier
- Dec. 9 – Florida Open – St. Johns River