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News Release
For additional information, please contact:
Mark Gintert, TBF National Youth Programs Manager
mark@bassfederation.com
BASS FISHING’S JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPION TO BE CROWNED AUG. 1 IN CONJUNCTION WITH
THE FORREST WOOD CUP IN PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (June 25, 2009) – The Bass Federation has announced that its 2009
National Guard Junior World Championship will be held on The Allegheny River in
Kittanning, Pa., July 31 - Aug. 1, in conjunction with the $2 million Forrest
Wood Cup – the world championship of bass fishing – presented by BP and Castrol.
Daily weigh-ins will be held at Kittanning Riverfront Park, and will be streamed
live to fans around the world watching “FLW Live” on FLWOutdoors.com. All junior
anglers will walk across the main stage to be recognized during the Saturday
weigh-in of the Forrest Wood Cup in Mellon Arena.
The TBF National Guard Junior World Championship will feature youth anglers from
as many as 41 states fishing for $30,000 in scholarships and prizes. Each
participating state will be represented by two junior anglers: one in the 11 to
14 age bracket and another in the 15 to 18 age bracket, both of whom will
receive travel assistance to Pittsburgh. Every youth angler will also be treated
to a world championship-caliber pizza party served up by the National Guard pro
team and featuring high-energy games, entertainment and sponsor prizes.
"The National Guard Junior World Championship has quickly turned into the
premier youth fishing event in the country and this year’s program is shaping up
to be another great success,” said TBF Youth Director Mark Gintert. “The setting
at the John Murtha Amphitheater is going to offer our parents and spectators a
great place to watch a tournament weigh-in and the waters of the upper Allegheny
River appear to be prime for our state champion anglers to conquer. We're all
looking forward to the last week of July!"
The junior anglers will each be paired with a veteran angler from the area for
competition on the Allegheny River. Juniors will be allowed to fish pools 6 and
7. Any angler age 16 and older will be required to have a Pennsylvania fishing
license. Off limits begins on Sunday, July 26, 2009, and will continue until the
start of the tournament on Friday, July 31. There will be three anglers to a
boat: a junior angler from each age group plus a boat captain who will assist
the junior anglers, but will not fish. The two junior anglers will share control
of the boat for the day, but will compete in their respective age groups. The
full field of junior anglers will compete July 31 then be cut to the top angler
in each age bracket from each of the TBF’s six geographic divisions. Weights
will be zeroed Aug. 1 as six anglers in the 11 to 14 age bracket and six anglers
in the 15 to 18 age bracket continue competition, with the winners determined by
the heaviest catch from that day.
Qualifying for the 2009 TBF National Guard Junior World Championship takes place
up to a year in advance through each states qualifying structure.
“The National Guard Junior World Championship allows The Bass Federation’s
brightest upcoming anglers to elevate their game and be spotlighted during the
Forrest Wood Cup,” said FLW/TBF Programs Manager David Simmons. “It’s such a
great way to enhance the FLW Outdoors/TBF partnership and provide an
experience-of-a-lifetime for the next generation of anglers and their families.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the hard work and support of
TBF youth directors and parents nationwide.”
First-place finishers in each age bracket will receive a $5,000 scholarship in
addition to a sponsor merchandise package. Second-place finishers will receive
$3,000 scholarships plus sponsor packages. Third-place finishers will receive
$2,500 scholarships plus sponsor packages. Fourth-place finishers will receive
$2,000 scholarships plus sponsor packages. Fifth-place finishers will receive
$1,500 scholarships plus sponsor packages. Sixth-place finishers will receive
$1,000 scholarships plus sponsor packages.
The eventual champions will also be featured in an episode of “FLW Outdoors,”
which will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS, the network which
brings anglers the best fishing programming on television featuring the
most-trusted authorities on the water. The Emmy-nominated “FLW Outdoors,” which
airs from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET and is hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast
to approximately 500 million households worldwide, including internationally
through agreements with WFN (World Fishing Network) and Matchroom Sport to such
countries as Canada, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia,
Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly
outdoor-sports television show in the world.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger
Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors
also is taking fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest
awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and
prizes. Sign up for Player’s Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win.
TBF is dedicated to the sport of fishing and owned by the more than 30,000
members it serves. TBF-affiliated state federations and their 2200 member clubs
conduct more than 20,000 fishing, youth and conservation events at the local
level each year and have provided the foundation for the entire bass-fishing
industry for more than 30 years. In 2006, TBF proudly partnered with FLW
Outdoors, the world’s premier tournament-fishing\marketing organization.
For more information about TBF Junior Angler programs, contact your state’s TBF
chapter. A list of chapters can be found at bassfederation.com. For more
information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or
call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s
Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, shoot me an e-mail
at rick@mnbass.org or give me a call at (952) 270-3864.
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