PRESQUE ISLE BAY, Pa. — The Bass Federation 2008 Mid-Atlantic Divisional Championship will be held on Lake Erie in Presque Isle Bay, Pa., Sept. 24-26. As many as 84 competitors representing seven Mid-Atlantic Division areas – Delaware, Maryland, Nation’s Capitol, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia – are expected to compete in the tournament.
The public is invited to the Marina Launch at Presque State Park in Erie, Pa., to watch the takeoffs and weigh-ins at 6:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., respectively. Admission is free.
Anglers will compete both individually and as state teams in an effort to qualify for the prestigious 2009 TBF National Championship presented by the National Guard. The top three state teams will be awarded trophies and cash prizes. The angler with the heaviest three-day weight will also earn a $500 Walmart gift card as the Castrol Maximum Performer.
Each state team is made up of 12 anglers, and the top-finishing angler from each team will advance to the 2009 TBF National Championship presented by the National Guard as a boater. The No. 2 competitor from each state team will advance to the National Championship as a co-angler.
TBF National Championship anglers will compete for a share of more than $200,000 in cash and merchandise, including a $100,000 “Living the Dream” prize package with use of a wrapped Chevy truck and Ranger boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha, sponsor merchandise and paid entry fees into the Walmart FLW Tour or Walmart FLW Series. The top boater and co-angler from each of the TBF’s six divisions at the National Championship will receive a berth into the $1 million BFL All-American presented by Chevy, where boaters compete for a top award of $140,000 and co-anglers cast for a top award of $70,000. The winning boater and co-angler at the TBF National Championship will also advance to the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP/Castrol, where pros compete for a top award of $1 million and co-anglers fish for a top award of $50,000.
In TBF Divisional Championship competition, anglers are randomly paired each day and share control of the boat throughout the day.
Official practice for the TBF Mid-Atlantic Divisional Championship begins at daylight Sept. 21 and continues through 2 p.m. Sept. 23.
Coverage of the TBF National Championship will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television series. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in most markets. Check local listings for times in your area.
The Bass Federation Inc. (TBF) is owned by those it serves and is dedicated to the sport of fishing. 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 the foundation for the entire bass-fishing industry for more than 30 years. For more information about The Bass Federation, visit bassfederation.com or call (580) 765-9031.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.
