Final Report TBF Southern Division Championship Presented By All-Pro Rods

Josh Queen

Josh Queen

Blythe Landing – Lake Norman, North Carolina

The TBF Southern Division Championship Presented by All Pro Rods is in the books and the host state of North Carolina won its first Divisional Championship title in more than a decade! They bested the rest of the field by a 34 pounds 2 ounce margin of victory and a total team weight of 247-03.

Fishing a “home” lake is tough, seldom does a home lake angler win an event, its almost like a jinx. Today the 12 man team representing the North Carolina TBF Federation proved that they had what it took to take the All-Pro Rods cup away form the State of Alabama who has held it for the last two years in a row.

” I am so proud of our guys.” Said North Carolina State President Phillip Sain, “We have been close before, and finished second at last years Southern Division Championship, so my guys were hungry for the win. They worked hard together to get the job done.”

Last year Tennessee finished 3rd right behind North Carolina 2nd place finish. This year they finished right behind North Carolina again….holding down the second place spot with 213.01. Georgia got off to a slow start on day 1, built momenteum on day 2, and made a serious push on day 3 to wind up in the third place spot finishing with 204-11. South Carolina, Alabama, Florida and Kentucky rounded out the standings.

In the individual standings it was Joshua Queen from Lincolnton, North Carolina who walked away with the Castrol Maximum Performer Award and the Division Champions title. He has earned his way to the 2009 TBF Federation National Championship, Presented by the National Guard with a three day total of 32-10. Queen will fish the event as a the boater from North Carolina.

The other anglers earning bearths in the 2009 Championship are:

Ronald Tuck, Rockwell, North Carolina – Non-Boater

Daniel Ellis – Gleason, TN – Boater

Rick Kelly – Union City, TN- Non-Boater

Justin Lanier – Macon, GA – Boater

Woody Parks – Lincolnton, GA, Non-Boater

Robert Rikard – Lexington, Sc – Boater

Craig Fredrychowski – Lexington, SC – Non-Boater (Reigning 2008 Non-Boater National Champion)

Russell Burroughs – Jacksonville, AL. – Boater

Kenny Pannell – Springfield, AL – Non-Boater

Chris Crossan – Naples, FL. – Boater

Leon Roy V – Tallahassee, FL. – Non-Boater

And Michael Boggs will represent Kentucky as their Boater

Also today The North Carolina Junior State Championship followed the adults out and weighed in on the big stage. The kids had a super time …it was all smiles around the weigh in as Don Willis and David Blanton earn thier slots in the August TBF National Guard Junior World Championship to be held Aug. 14-17 on South Carolina’s Lake Montecello, in conjuction with the 2 million dollar Forrest Wood Cup.

Day 2 TBF Southern Division Championship, Presented by All Pro Rods

Lake Norman, North Carolina

Hokey Pokey was the name of the game today at Lake Norman as the state team standing were “shaking it all up” today.

Day 1 leader North Carolina was all the way down into 5th place more than half way through the weigh-in today but a late flight surge of good limits by North Carolina anglers propelled the host state back to the top of the State standings. They finished day 2 with a total team weight of 150 pounds and 13 ounces. Tennessee moved up 2 places to second with 135-9, South Carolina slid back to third with 134-3,Georgia moves up two places to fourth with their team weight of 132-8, Alabama hung on to the fifth spot at 126-7. The Kentucky squad dropped 3 places to finish sixth with 117-8 and Florida sits in seventh at 102-4.

After a shake up like today its anyone’s guess who will win the title of division champions and take home the All-Pro Rods Southern Division Cup. One thing is for sure…North Carolina has to feel good about its chances. No one knows how many years it’s been since North Carolina won a divisional title, many years to say the least. North Carolina can’t even remember it’s been so long. They are hungry for a win and are in position to lock it up, all they have to do tomorrow is …….win.

In the individual standings, it seems to be a battle of the Carolina’s. Day 1 leader Craig Fredrychowski had another solid day, although he was overtaken by North Carolina Joshua Queen whose two day total of 20 pounds 14 ounces was bolstered by a 11-5 sack today. Queen hold the top spot by a 11 ounce margin ahead of Fredrychowski.

Fredrychowski wants the front of the boat!

Alabama will have to hurry to keep the cup for a third year.

Lake Norman, NC.

South Carolina’s Craig Fredrychowski is the reining TBF Co-Angler National Champion, he is serving notice today at the TBF Southern Division Championship, Presented by All-Pro Rods that he wants to go back to the Federation National Championship in 2009….as a boater.

North Carolina Leads the state competition:

Alabama has won the All Pro Rods Southern Division Cup and title of Southern Division champs the last two years in a row. If they want to make it three in a row they will have to get it in gear ……they are currently in fifth place, behind Tennessee and Kentucky who are in fourth and thrid respectively. Then they will need to look at both North AND South Carolina whose teams sit in the one and two spots only four ounces apart.

Final Day of the TBF Central Division Championship

Yankton, South Dakota, – June 6, 2008

It was a tough day in Yankton, S. Dakota as the TBF Central Division Championship came to a conclusion. The boats pulled off the ramp one by one, just as the sun was coming over the horizon. The anglers were all eager to find a limit of keepers, and hopeful to be pronounced the winner of their respective states. However, once again the weather proved to be their number one obstacle. The wind blew so hard it was causing anywhere from 5 to 7 ft. waves, making some of the boats hard to maneuver. But, the anglers still managed to catch some great smallmouth bass, as the final day of the tournament rolled on.

Jason Baird from Gypsum, Kansas was the Central Division Champion and the Castrol Maximum Performer. Jason caught four fish today that weighed 5lbs. 15 ounces, which made him able to rise from his 3rd place finish yesterday and become the tournament champion. He caught a total weight of 22 lbs, which was also enough to make him the leader of his state team and a qualifier for the TBF National Championship. “I found lots of fish the practice day, and fished from those same 20 spots the first two days of the tournament. But, today was a lot different. I fished at one spot right outside the cove all day; I literally used no gas. To catch all of my fish I used 3/16 ounce smallie beaver, and I an 8 ounce seaguar flurocarbon. I had four bites and I caught four fish, and I am so glad that it was enough to qualify me for nationals. This will be my fourth time to go, and I can’t wait,” Jason said.

Finishing in 2nd place in the individual standing was Zachary King from Clarksville, Arkansas. He caught three fish today that weighed 5 lbs. 4 ounces, making his total weight 20 lbs.1 ounce and making a qualifier for the TBF National Championship. “I fished in 10 to 15 ft water today using an original shaky head football jig. I actually lost a big one this morning, but I stayed in the cove all day and did bed fishing. It’s a great opportunity to be representing the state of Arkansas at the TBF National Championship, it will be my second time and I’m really looking forward to it,” Zachary said.

Also from Arkansas, state team member Jim Towers finished 3rd and will be representing the state of Arkansas at the 2009 TBF National Championship as their non-boater. He caught three fish today, making his total weight 19 lbs. 4 ounces. “I did get 3 miles up the lake today. But, I ended up fishing mostly in the cove using Carolina rigs. I had three bites, and I caught three keepers,” Jim said.

In 4th place was Bryan Fox from Hot Springs, Arkansas with a total weight of 19 lbs. 1 ounce, and rounding out the top 5 was Marion Halbersma from Ozark, Missouri. For more individual standings, click here.

The fisherman responsible for catching the biggest fish today was Chris Scherbring from Abilene, Kansas. He was awarded the big bass cash, with a fish that weighed 4 lbs. 9 ounces. “I fished really slow today, dragging a 5 inch finesse worm on a spot remover jig, along the bottom of the water,” Chris said.

The 2008 State Division Champion was the state of Arkansas. With three of the top five individual qualifiers, the state of Arkansas came out on top catching 107 total fish that weighed 156 lbs. 12 ounces.

Oklahoma came in 2nd with 104 total fish that weighed 153 lbs. 13 ounces, and rounding out the top three was Texas with 101 total fish that weighed 146 lbs. 2 ounces. For more state team standings, click here.

The TBF National Championship will be held in 2009, and the location will be announced soon. Then, the top two winners from all 46 state federations will compete to decide who will be the TBF National Champion and the winner of the largest pay-out in 30 years of federation fishing.