TBF Anglers prove; Plenty of fish to be caught on Watts Bar Lake, in Kingston, Tennessee

Day one of the 2010 Federation National Championship, presented by the National Guard is in the books.

Gary Cline

Gary Cline

Kingston, Tenn., April 22, 2010 Gary Cline, from Lexington, NC, representing the TBF Southern Division is our day one leader with a five fish limit weighing 19lbs 4ounces. Cline had a chance to pre-fish over Easter weekend and has settled on a pattern he’s familiar with. When asked if he planned on doing the same thing tomorrow, Cline said, “Oh Yeah, definitely.” He had his limit by 10:30am. “I just really want to say I’ve enjoyed being in Kingston, the community has been very friendly and helpful.” He’s holding on tight to the top spot but the race is close so we’ll see what tomorrow’s fishing brings.

Trailing by only ounces and fighting to break into that top spot is Leo Bevelaqua from Wyoming, RI, representing the Eastern Division with a limit weighing 18lb 9 ounces. “I was here pre-fishing when the lake was way down, so I was able to see a lot that is hiding below the surface.” Bevelaqua said. He caught his limit by 9am and only ran about mid-lake. “I just want to say thank you to all my family and friends for their support, specially my son and girlfriend who are here with me this week.”

Close behind, holding down the third spot is, Clint Farris, from Crowley, Texas, representing the TBF Central Division with a limit of bass weighing 16lb 4ounces. Farris is putting his focus on making it to Saturday. “I’m going to try to put that same sack together tomorrow,” Farris said. “I lost a fish about 6-7lb today. There’s just a lot on the line, a lot of pressure, and that’s the same for everybody.” Farris also plans on working the same water tomorrow, “I don’t feel like I beat them up today; I feel there’s still enough there for two more days.” Farris’s day one partner, fishing from the back of the boat also caught fish today. Adam Williamson, from Ridgeway, SC, representing the TBF Southern Division has the lead on the co-angler side with a four pound spread. He had a limit of bass weighing 13lb 7ounces and he caught his largest keeper using a jig. Williamson said he’d fished lakes in Alabama similar to this one. “I used that knowledge to help us during pre-fishing.”

There are just ounces separating the fourth and fifth place anglers on both the boater and co-angler sides. The competition is close and the angler’s know what’s at stake. Each angler will be fishing tomorrow with all they have, striving to be the ones named national champions. So, day two of the 2010 Federation National Championship, presented by the National Guard, is sure to come down to ounces of bass, hard work, and a little luck

The third stop on the 2010 FLW tour is being held in Knoxville, Tenn., on Fort Loudoun-Tellico lakes, where our 2009 Federation National Champion, Robert Harkness, will be “Living the Dream”, competing for his share in cash and prizes, proving just how much is on the line this week at the 2010 Federation National Championship.

Tomorrow, Friday, is the last lakeside weighin day at Ladd Park in Kingston. Saturday’s final day of the Federation National Championship will be held in conjunction with the final weigh-in day of the FLW tour event at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tenn. The TBF competitors will launch each day at 7am at Ladd Park, on Watts Bar Lake, in Kingston, Tenn. Weigh-in begins each day at 3pm.

Weigh-in begins each day at 3pm EST. You can watch the full weigh in LIVE on www.flwoutdoors.com starting at 3pm EST.

Take-offs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. FLW Outdoors memberships are available featuring numerous benefits including Player’s Advantage. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.

The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF), is the oldest and largest, organized grassroots angling organization in America. 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 40 years.

For more information about The Bass Federation, visit bassfederation.com, or call 580.765.9031.

2010 TBF Federation National Championship, presented by the National Guard

The 2010 Federation National Championship, presented by the National Guard, and hosted by the Tennessee Valley Authority kicks off tomorrow on Watts Bar Lake, in Kingston, Tenn., with 94 TBF Champion anglers ready to face-off for the title

Kingston, Tenn., April 21, 2010 Excitement and nerves built this morning amidst the heavy fog as 94 eager TBF anglers set out to run some water, find some fish and make their final preparations for the start of the 2010 Federation National Championship, on Watts Bar Lake, in Kingston, Tenn., April 22-24. Tomorrow, these anglers will begin fishing to be crowned 2010 Federation National Champions. The TBF National Champion boater will also earn the prestigious $100,000 “Living the Dream” prize package, including cash and prizes, fully paid entry fees into the FLW tour, travel funds and use of a wrapped Ranger Boat and Chevrolet truck for the year. Also, the 2010 National Champions, on the boater and non-boater side, will also be receiving entrance into the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup. The 2010 Federation National Championship on Watts Bar Lake is deemed one of the most anticipated TBF events of the year and is sure to shake the record books.

The tournament field consists of the top two anglers from 45 states, the top two anglers representing the Canadian Bass Anglers Federation and the two BoatUS Collegiate National Champions, all of whom competed at local, state and regional qualifiers to advance to the national contest. For most, the road to nationals has been a two year process, and now they compete to make it all worthwhile.

The tournament will be the compilation of three days of fishing. The accumulative weight of the first two days will decide the 14 anglers, the top boater and non-boater from each of 7 divisions, who will advance to day three competition. These 14 anglers will not only be fishing for the championship titles, but also they will have secured a spot in the 2010 BFL-All American to be held this May.

The third stop on the 2010 FLW tour is being held in Knoxville, Tenn., on Fort Loudoun-Tellico lakes, where our 2009 Federation National Champion, Robert Harkness, will be “Living the Dream”, competing for his share in cash and prizes, proving just how much is on the line this week at the 2010 Federation National Championship.

The final day of the Federation National Championship will be held in conjunction with the final weigh-in day of the FLW tour event at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tenn. The TBF competitors will launch each day at 7am at Ladd Park, on Watts Bar Lake, in Kingston, Tenn. Weigh-in begins each day at 3pm EST. You can watch the full weigh in LIVE on www.flwoutdoors.com starting at 3pm EST.

Take-offs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. FLW Outdoors memberships are available featuring numerous benefits including Player’s Advantage. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.

The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF), is the oldest and largest, organized grassroots angling organization in America. 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 40 years.

For more information about The Bass Federation, visit bassfederation.com, or call 580.765.9031.

HIGH SCHOOL FISHING WORLD FINALS ANNOUNCED

HIGH SCHOOL FISHING’S ULTIMATE EVENT TO BE HELD IN RUSSELLVILLE, ARKANSAS

HighSchoolFishing.org

The Bass Federation announced today it will conduct the inaugural High School Fishing World Finals in Russellville, Ark. on Lake Dardanelle, July 19-24, 2010. Anglers from more than 15 U.S. States and Canada are expected to attend this pinnacle event of TBF’s Student Anglers Federation and the rapidly expanding High School Fishing segment. All Student Angler Federation affiliated high school fishing clubs are eligible to register and attend this inaugural event and there is plenty of time left to get any High School club signed up.

Russellville, Ark. and the state of Arkansas Fish and Game have pledged an active role and support in the event. “Russellville is excited to be the host site for the 2010 High School Fishing World Finals, we look forward to having these high school students and their families here for the week, which will bring great economic impact into our community, as well as, allow them to see what a great lake area we have,” Christie Graham, Executive Director of the Russellville Tourism said.

According to TBF President, Robert Cartlidge, “The event will be centered on education, scholarships, catching fish and having fun; we intend to do all this with no entry fee to the event. In the future, there will be a format for who attends the event. However, the first one will be the tournament that anglers years from now will look back on and say, “I fished the first one, in Russellville” and we want to include as many as we can. The Student Anglers Federation has grown rapidly and our team has put together a unique plan to handle as many High School Teams who wish to register and try their hand at becoming the first High School Fishing World Champion.” Cartlidge continued, “If we have 100 boats or 1,000 boats this first year we’re ready for that, the more the better for the kids. Over time, we will grow; our plan is unlike anything the fishing industry has ever seen, and it will accommodate more boats at one event than there has ever been and do it in a fair and competitive format.”

The High School World Fishing Finals was designed around a very unique model never used in the fishing industry, but still incorporates items from sports longest running and most successful events. The event will settle into a “home” much like “March Madness” is with basketball. High School anglers and their families will know July is the time to vacation to the High School Fishing World Finals. The importance of education will be reinforced during the event with two simple written quizzes required of each contestant, one on boater safety & ethics and one on invasive species & conservation. The results will have an impact on the final weights and event outcome. As stated, the event field is virtually unlimited in size to be as inclusive as possible. TBF organizers want to grow the event to 1,000 or more boats competing and have a solid plan to properly manage those numbers. There will be no entry fees for the High School Teams. Each Student Angler Federation affiliated High School club can send as many two person teams they wish this first year. Each team secures its own boat to fish from and an adult non-fishing boat captain over 21 years old to drive the boat. The event’s “payout” will be in the form of thousands of dollars in post high school education scholarships, medals and trophies, and significant prizes for the anglers and for their High Schools. Students from all public and private schools that have graduated from the eighth grade, but have not started their freshman year of college are eligible to compete on a High School Fishing Team. Lake Dardanelle will go off-limits on Tuesday July 6 to all competitors until the start of the first practice day July 18. There will be multiple activities during the week culminating with official tournament days of July 22-24. Full details, entry forms and rules can be found on the website at highschoolfishing.org.

“For High School fishing, this is the culmination of years of hard work by a lot of dedicated people. All the state federations have supported young anglers since the very first federation was formed more than 40 years ago; youth is one of the federation’s cores values,” TBF National Youth Director, Mark Gintert, stated. “Over the years, others have stepped forward as well to serve the next generation of anglers, people such as, Ron Duncan, who helped model the national initiative “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs” and industry veteran Terry Brown, president of Wired2Fish.com who started a “labor of love” that took eight years to get high school fishing in the schools and approved as a varsity sport in his home state of Illinois. The work done by Brown and director Dave Gannaway in Illinois is the “gold” standard in High School Fishing.” Gintert goes on to say, “There are many others “out there” working hard to help young people. They all deserve to share in the credit on getting things this far. By all accounts, the next logical step is to bring them all together for a true High School Fishing World Finals.”

The High School World Fishing Finals will be centered on a low cost family vacation of fun and festivities in and around Russellville, Ark. With its central location right off I-40, Russellville has everything for a perfect event where the high school anglers will be the stars of the show and a first class fishery and state park will highlight Lake Dardanelle.

HighSchoolFishing.org

TBF of SC Holds 2nd Points Tournament

By Rich Gerken 

The Bass Federation of South Carolina held its second point’s tournament of the season at the lakes of Santee Cooper. The morning weather was somewhat threatening with a good bit of wind and cloudy skies. These lakes are none to get rough even with light winds and many reported they had a rough, wet ride to their first areas. The winds did die down and the sun made its appearance which made the day more enjoyable and safer for all.

It has finally warmed up here in the Carolina’s and with warmer water temps and a full moon the big bass have moved shallow. As you can imagine many quality largemouth were caught this day. Bass are starting to lock down on beds, although they are hard to see with the muddy water conditions here.

First place in the boater division was our TBF of SC president Herman Vining weighing in a 5 bass limit at 16.50lbs. His biggest 7.19 lb lunker that had him celebrating loud enough to be heard half way across the lake. Herman reported finding his fish around cypress trees and pads with floating grass matted above.

Second place boater was Billy Wilson with a limit weighing 14.75 lbs. Billy also garnished big bass honors with an 8.28 lb monster. Spinner baits worked for him, with an early morning bite during the windy conditions.

Third was Pat Whaley, also getting most of his bites early with a spinner bait. Pat weighed 4 bass at 12.80 lbs which included a 6.00 lb kicker.

The co/anglers were not to be disappointed either. Terry Thomas, a relative new comer to the sport won his first ever tournament with 5 bass limit weighing 8.70 lbs. Second place was our current point’s leader, Kenny Grimes with 3 bass at 8.07 lbs. And third with 2 nice fish was Montae Gregg weighing 8.07. Big bass honor and 4th place went to

Rich Gerken with his 5.64lb largemouth.

Our next tournament is scheduled for April 24th at Lake Greenwood. We would like to thank the people at Black’s Camp for the use of their facility for our launch and weigh in. For more information about TBF of SC and joining in our fun please visit www.tbfofsc.com