Tennessee High School Fishing State Championship April 9
College scholarships to UT-Chattanooga, much more on the line
PONCA CITY, Okla. – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, announced the inaugural Student Angler Federation Tennessee High School Fishing State Championship presented by the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, April 9, on Lake Chickamauga just outside of Dayton, Tenn. The state championship is a two-person team event for students in grades 9-12.
Registration for high school anglers and their coach, who will provide the boat, is available online at HighSchoolFishing.org or by calling (580) 765-9031. Check-in begins at 6 p.m. April 8 at the Family Church Gymnasium with a mandatory rules briefing to follow. Teams are encouraged to pre-register online or by phone in advance to avoid late-registration fees.
“The City of Dayton and the County of Rhea are excited to partner together to be the host for this exciting event. Our central location on Chickamauga Lake, excellent lodging, restaurants and launching facilities make us the perfect location to fish the South’s best bass fishing lake!” Dayton City Councilman Gary Louallen said.
Director of UTC Campus Recreation Ron Nelson stated: “The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Department of Campus Recreation and the UTC Bass Fishing Club are very excited to be working with the inaugural Tennessee High School State Bass Fishing Championship to bring the event to the Chattanooga area. We believe high school students will not only find excellent fishing on our lakes, but also find Chattanooga is one of the friendliest locations in the South. Our people and our bass are ready to make this tournament the best one in the nation.”
Over and above other prizes and advancement opportunities, the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and the UT Chattanooga Collegiate Bass Fishing Team is offering up to a $1,000 scholarship to UT Chattanooga for both anglers on the winning team.
Students and parents can go to HighSchoolFishing.org for details on the Student Angler Federation (SAF) and to sign up. Cost is only $25 per year and includes full TBF/FLW Outdoors benefits, including all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition and insurance coverage for students and their club. The winning two-person team will advance to an FLW Outdoors/TBF HS Fishing Regional Championship held in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championship hosted on a college campus this fall. Ranger boats will be provided for anglers to fish from at regionals and the winners will advance to the FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing National Championship held on a college campus in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship in the spring of 2012. All SAF members and state championship participants qualify to fish the largest event in high school fishing, the 2011 High School Fishing World Finals, July 20-23 in Russellville, Ark., to compete for thousands in college scholarships and prizes. Start planning your vacation now! Each team that qualifies for a regional and national championship will receive a travel allowance to help offset expenses. The High School Fishing National Championship winner’s will also each receive a $5,000 scholarship to use at the university of their choice.
If you’re not an SAF member, there’s a $25 fee per angler for the state championship, which includes full TBF/FLW Outdoors membership benefits, and the onetime fee covers all SAF sanctioned events all year.
“We’re very excited to be working with the Tennessee Bass Federation, Dayton, Tenn., and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and their collegiate bass-fishing team to help bring this event to Tennessee,” TBF National President Robert Cartlidge said. “Our affiliated state federations are the backbone of the industry and are giving high school anglers in Tennessee a chance to grow their skills, have some fun, compete to advance and get involved with other programs the Tennessee Bass Federation has to offer. Dayton is a family community, building and growing opportunities for anglers. UT-Chattanooga not only provides an exceptional educational experience, but also it’s home to one of the largest and most highly competitive collegiate bass-fishing teams. Young anglers in Tennessee have a lot of opportunities and support in front of them.”
TBF National Youth Director Mark Gintert stated: “SAF has a great start in Tennessee with several students participating in our High School Fishing World Finals last year in Russellville, Ark. I’m sure they’re ready to show everyone how far they’ve come as anglers.”
Another unique feature of an SAF sanctioned event is the “angler testing” component. All participants can take a free online test at HighSchoolFishing.org about boater safety, conservation and angler ethics, making them eligible for contingency awards at the state championship.
“It’s an industry first by TBF and a tremendous way to emphasize the importance of education,” Gintert said. “The Federation is driven by our desire to promote education through fishing, and the testing component is designed to do exactly that. Put this package together with our partnership with FLW Outdoors, and the sky is the limit. These youth will have opportunities unlike anything the industry has ever seen.”
Event details:
• State championship sign-up: PRE-REGISTER ONLINE at HighSchoolFishing.org OR BY PHONE (580) 765-9031. Questions? E-mail [email protected] or call (580) 765-9031. If necessary, you may register for the tournament at the Friday mandatory check-in. HOWEVER, there will be a $25 late fee per angler. The best way is to pre-register online at HighSchoolFishing.org.
• Mandatory check-in: Friday, April 8, 6 to 8 p.m. Eastern time, at the Family Church gymnasium, 3314 Rhea County Highway, Dayton, TN 37321 with mandatory rules briefing to follow at 8 p.m.; launch at the Dayton Boat Dock, 175 Lakeshore Dr., Dayton, TN 37321.
• Takeoff and weigh-in: Saturday, April 9, Dayton City Park, Lake Chickamauga, TN 7 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
About The Bass Federation
The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. TBF is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing organization. TBF affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 fishing, youth and conservation events at the local level each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 40 years. Visit Bassfederation.com.
About FLW Outdoors
FLW Outdoors is the largest tournament-fishing organization in the world, offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing at FantasyFishing.com, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge.