Ponca City, Okla. (Feb. 22, 2012) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, and Salisbury-Rowan County Convention & Visitors Bureau announced it will host the 2012 Student Angler Federation North Carolina High School Fishing State Championship. The event will be Saturday, March 17 on High Rock Lake launching out of the Dutch Second Creek Ramp in Salisbury, N.C. 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 they compete in, is online at HighSchoolFishing.org or by calling 580.765.9031. Check-in begins at 6pm on Friday, March 16, at the Salisbury Holiday Inn with a mandatory rules briefing at 7pm. We highly encourage all teams to preregister online or by phone in advance to avoid late registration fees.
“We’re very excited to be working with the Salisbury-Rowan County Convention & Visitors Bureau and the North Carolina Bass Federation to bring this event to the state of North Carolina on scenic High Rock Lake,” TBF National President, Robert Cartlidge, said. “Our affiliated state federations are the backbone of the industry; they’re on the ground doing the work to put on these types of events and give anglers a chance to grow their skills, have some fun, compete to advance, and get involved with other programs the North Carolina Bass Federation has to offer.”
Students and parents can go to HighSchoolFishing.org for details on the Student Angler Federation (SAF) and to sign up. Cost is only $25/ year and includes full TBF and FLW Outdoors benefits, including access to the all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition and insurance coverage for students and their club. The winning two-person team from each state championship will advance to an FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing Regional Championship held in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championship. The winners from each regional will advance to the FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing National Championship held in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship in the spring of 2013. All SAF members and state championship participants qualify for the largest event in high school fishing, the 2012 High School Fishing World Finals to compete for thousands in college scholarships and prizes. Each team that qualifies for a regional and/or 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/per angler fee for the state championship, which includes full TBF/FLW Outdoors membership benefits for the year, as well as, ALL SAF sanctioned events!
“Last year’s inaugural event was a dual state championship with Virginia. We’ve added so many North Carolina SAF members each state now has the opportunity to host its own event,” SAF Program Manager, Alex Craw, commented. “We’re looking forward to increased participation and enthusiasm for the sport as the Student Angler Federation continues to grow nationwide.”
Another unique feature of an SAF sanctioned event is the “angler testing” component. Anglers can take a free online test at HighSchoolFishing.org about boater safety, conservation and angler ethics, which makes them eligible for contingency awards at their state championship. “It’s an industry first by TBF and a tremendous way to emphasize the importance of education to these student anglers,” TBF National Youth Director, Mark Gintert, commented. “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 young anglers 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, beginning February 6 at 5pm EST. Boat numbers will be determined by the time and date each team registers. A $25 late registration fee will apply to those registering at check-in. The best way is to pre-register online at highschoolfishing.org.
- Mandatory Check-in: Friday, March 16, 6-7pm EST, at the Holiday Inn, 530 Jake Alexander Boulevard South, Salisbury, NC, 28147; Mandatory rules briefing to immediately follow at 7pm.
- Takeoff & Weigh-in: Saturday, March 17, at Dutch Second Creek Ramp, 9185 Bringle Ferry Rd., Salisbury, NC 28147, on High Rock Lake. Takeoff & Weigh-in times will be announced at the Mandatory rules briefing. Questions? info@highschoolfishing.org or 580-765-9031.
- Host Hotel: Holiday Inn, 530 Jake Alexander Boulevard South, Salisbury, NC, 28147; Rooms with one king bed or two doubles will be given the discounted rate of $79.99 plus tax from Thursday, March 15 to Sunday, March 18. Breakfast buffet coupons will be included with each nightly stay. Guests can call the hotel directly at 704-637-3100 and ask for the SAF group rate. You can also register online by visiting www.holidayinn.com
About FLW Outdoors
FLW Outdoors is the largest fishing tournament 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 presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free, as well as, sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com.
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.
