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| FishTails |
 BASS FISHING’S JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPION TO BE CROWNED AUG. 1 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FORREST
WOOD CUP IN PITTSBURGH
News Release
For additional information, please contact:
Mark Gintert, TBF National Youth Programs Manager
mark@bassfederation.com
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. |
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