Ponca City, Okla. – November 28, 2012 The Bass Federation, (TBF) announced today the Caddo Parish Commission and the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission will host the 2013 TBF Junior World Championship at the Earl Williamson Park in Oil City, La. The TBF Junior World Championship will be held in conjunction with the most prestigious event in tournament fishing, FLW’s Forrest Wood Cup. 82 TBF junior state champions, one in both the 11-14 and 15-18 age brackets from 41 states, will compete for the championship titles and thousands of dollars in college scholarships.
“We’re very excited to be holding this event in the Shreveport-Bossier area,” TBF National Youth Programs Director, Mark Gintert, stated. “It’s something we’ve wanted to do for years. Shreveport-Bossier has such a well deserved reputation for their hospitality and fan support. They roll out the red carpet for anglers at first class facilities and unique fisheries.”
The world championship will open with registration and a welcome banquet on Thursday, August 15, followed by a full day of competition on Friday, August 16 where the entire field of state champions will compete. The field will then be cut for the final day of competition on Saturday, August 17. The top two junior anglers, one from each age group, from six TBF divisions will advance to the final day.
“Our area recognizes that bass fishing is becoming a true sport among our young athletes and to bring this event to the area to showcase national talent is a virtual thrill for us,” Vice President of the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, Kelly Wells, said. “We want to see these young men and women come back to our waters throughout their college and hopefully professional careers.”
Daily weigh-ins at Earl Williamson Park in Oil City, La are free to the public and will stream live on bassfederation.com. Friday night the anglers and their families will be treated to a world championship tradition, the Friday night Pizza Party. This year’s festivities will be the best yet with a night full of games, entertainment and sponsor prizes scheduled for the crowd.
“Caddo Parish looks forward to co-hosting the TBF Junior World Championship from Earl G. Williamson Park along the shores of beautiful Caddo Lake,” Director of Caddo Parish Parks and Recreation, Larry Raymond, said. “Events like this enhance the recreational opportunities available in our parks.”
All state champion junior anglers in attendance will be introduced on the main stage at the Forrest Wood Cup at the CenturyLink Center on Saturday. TBF and FLW is proud of their junior angler state champions and ready to showcase the best of the best next summer at the 2013 TBF Junior World Championship on Caddo Lake, August 15-17, 2013.
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 there is. 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
