The 2006 National Guard Junior World Championship is sponsoring a one-day, youth-oriented fishing championship Monday, July 31. The event, in which participation is by invitation only, is designed to highlight some of the best up-and-coming angling talent in the nation. The tournament will be held in conjunction with the 2006 FLW Tour Championship, scheduled to take place in Birmingham, Ala., Aug. 2-5. Each participating TBF state will send two junior anglers (one from 11-14 age bracket and another from 15-18 age bracket). All junior championship event activities will take place in a satellite location (Gadsden, Ala.) which is approximately 50 minutes from Birmingham.
Schedule of events
Sunday, July 30:
3-6 p.m. – Junior anglers registration – Birmingham Sheraton
6:30 p.m. – Pairings meeting – Birmingham Sheraton
Monday, July 31:
8 a.m. – Takeoff – Gadsden City, Ala. (Launch site: Gadsden Bait and Tackle, located at 200 Lake Street in Gadsden, Ala.)
2-5 p.m. – National Guard Fun Zone – Located at Gadsden Bait and Tackle, 200 Lake Street in Gadsden, Ala.
3 p.m. – Weigh-in and photographs at Gadsden City Launch.
Junior championship rules
Junior anglers will each be paired with an FLW Tour pro for the one-day competition. There will be three anglers to a boat (one junior angler from each age group as well as an FLW Tour pro, who will assist the junior anglers as a guide and will not fish). The two junior anglers will share control of the boat for the day (approximately three and a half hours each during the competition) and will be competing in separate age categories. Event prizes, given to the top finishers in each division, consist of scholarship savings bonds, cash, and merchandise.
For a complete list of rules, click here.
Tournament prizes (same for both age divisions):
1st place: $5,000 scholarship and sponsor merchandise package
2nd place: $4,000 scholarship and sponsor merchandise package
3rd place: $3,000 scholarship and sponsor merchandise package
4th place: $2,000 scholarship and sponsor merchandise package
5th place: $1,000 scholarship and sponsor merchandise package
Additional tournament prizes:
Ten thousand dollars in additional grants/donations will be distributed to TBF state chapters on behalf of the junior anglers. Another $1,000 will be awarded to the youth program claimed by each of the top-five finishers in each age category.
For more information, contact FLW/TBF Programs Manager David Simmons at: (270) 252-1565.