District 9’s Wisconsin and Minnesota See Huge Payouts on Lake Winneconne

The Wisconsin Bass Federation hosted the TBF National Semifinal for District 9 which included the top anglers from Wisconsin and Minnesota.  The tournament was held September 9-10 on Lake Winneconne in Winneconne, WI.  The new TBF National Semi-Finals program pits top grassroots anglers from each state in a “close to home” weekend event with neighboring states for significant cash prizes and advancements.

Rick Bosshard – NSF Boater Champion – WI

The anglers could not have asked for better weather for the tournament with clear skies and light winds both tournament days. TBF anglers launched from Lake Winneconne but with the light winds many made the half hour run to Lake Winnebago to chase smallmouth bass and it paid off.

A total of $18,440 with 118.5% payback was awarded in cash and prizes.  The top ten boaters and coanglers in the 53 boat field divvied up $11,700 in total cash payback, not including the $500 Ranger Cup award and the $1,000 Evinrude E-tec award for the winning boater (if he/she runs a 2012 or newer Etec Evinrude).

On day one, Jim Barczak, from Minnesota took a slight lead on the boater’s side with a limit of bass weighing 14.90 pounds.  Not far behind was another Minnesota angler, Scott Bonnema with 14.70, three from Wisconsin finished off the top five, Rick Bosshard, Tim Schulz and Dustin O’Shaughnessy, respectively.

Clint Seehusen from Minnesota led the co-angler side with a limit of bass weighing 13.07 pounds.  The Wisconsin leader was Mike Cottrell with five fish totaling 9.99 pounds.

After two days of competition, Rick Bosshard was the boater champion of the 2017 District 9 NSF event.  Bosshard caught another five fish limit weighing 13.49 pounds to make his two day total 27.95 pounds.  He received a $2,600 paycheck and a slot in the 2018 Federation National Championship.

Scott Bonnema came in fourth overall and was the highest finishing Minnesota boater. Bonnema caught a limit both days for a two day total of 27.16 pounds.  He scored a $610 paycheck for his two days of work and will also advance to the national event.

Mike Cottrell – NSF Coangler Champion – WI

On the co-angler side, Mike Cottrell of Wisconsin came in with four fish weighing 8.36 pounds to make his two day total 18.35 pounds.  Cottrell secured the NSF Co-angler title plus a $1,300 paycheck for the win. For Minnesota, Dave Berg came from behind to take second overall with 15.38 pounds.  Both anglers will advance as the top co-angler’s representing their respective states.

The Wisconsin Bass Federation made the final sweep taking home bragging rights and the District 9 State Pride Award with 109.59 total pounds.  The award is determined by adding the weights of the top four boaters and co-anglers from each state, which are selected prior to the event.

Congratulations to Kevin Fassbind the $500 Ranger Cup winner.

In the end, 53 anglers brought in 444 bass weighing in at a whopping 1075.71 pounds. The event went well thanks to the Wisconsin Bass Federation that ran the event and all the support from TBF’s sponsors; FLW, Ranger, Cabela’s, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Evinrude, Berkley and Power Pole.

 

FULL RESULTS

Scott Bonnema Top Advancing MN Boater

Dave Berg Top Advancing MN Coangler

 

District 16’s Massachusetts and Vermont Face off on Lake Champlain

The Vermont Bass Federation hosted the 2017 TBF National Semifinal District 16 event September 9-10 in South Hero, Vermont.  Friday night anglers were welcomed with dinner and a meeting at Anchorage Cottages.  Saturday kicked off with temperatures in the low fifties, scattered showers and a steady northwest wind.  In District 16, 25 boats launched on Lake Champlain’s waters to battle it out for state bragging rights, deeper payouts, Ranger qualifying jerseys and trophies plus coveted spots in the 2018 Federation National Championship.

The National Semi-Final format rolled out last year replacing the divisional events and state team line-ups.  TBF anglers can now advance to a close-to-home NSF event in one of two ways.  Active state clubs can advance their top two anglers, in addition, the top 10% of state event participation or a minimum of 12 anglers per state qualify, whichever is greater.  The new format has been highly successful with state participation and membership up across the nation.

A total of $9,800 with 128% payback was awarded in cash and prizes.  The top five boaters and co-anglers in the 25 boat field divvied up $5,625 in total cash payback, not including the $500 Ranger Cup award and the $1,000 Evinrude E-tec award for the winning boater (if he/she runs a 2012 or newer Etec Evinrude).

The new format pays back 100% of the entry fees, 75% to the top 20% of the field, 10% to the state federations and 15% to the TBF Federation National Championship.

After two days of competition, Ed Gauthier from Massachusetts bested the boater field with 32.92 pounds.  Gauthier received a $1,700 paycheck and a slot in the 2018 Federation National Championship.

 

 

 

The winning co-angler was EJ Nocon also from Massachusetts.  Nocon had a two day total of 29.67 pounds for a total cash payout of $850.

Scott Green was the top Vermont angler with 30.96 pounds; he will advance to the national championship representing his state.  Scott McKay will advance on the co-angler side representing Vermont with a two day total of 24.93 pounds.

The Vermont Bass Federation made the final sweep taking home bragging rights and the first District 16 State Pride Award with 189.07 total pounds.  The award is determined by adding the weights of the top four boaters and co-anglers selected prior to the event from each state.

In the end, 50 anglers brought in 413 bass weighing in at a whopping 1009.41 pounds. The event went well thanks to the Vermont Bass Federation that ran the event and all the support from TBF’s sponsors; FLW, Ranger, Cabela’s, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Evinrude, Berkley and Power Pole.

FULL RESULTS

PHOTO GALLERY

District 22 Hosts National Semi-Final Event on Deer Creek Reservoir

Nevada and Utah Advance Anglers to National Event

The Utah Bass Federation hosted take 2017 TBF National Semifinal District 22 event August 26-27 on Deer Creek Reservoir near Salt Lake City in beautiful Provo Canyon.  Anglers were welcomed with warm temperatures and sunny weather throughout the weekend.  Twenty-four anglers representing Nevada and Utah set out to claim state bragging rights, deep payouts, trophies, Ranger Cup and Evinrude contingencies plus coveted spots in the 2018 Federation National Championship.

The National Semi-Final format rolled out last year replacing the divisional events and state team line-ups.  TBF anglers can now advance to a close-to-home NSF event in one of two ways.  Active state clubs can advance their top two anglers, in addition, the top 10% of state event participation or a minimum of 12 anglers per state qualify, whichever is greater.  The new format has been highly successful with state participation and membership up across the nation.

A total of $5,640 with 157% payback was awarded in cash and prizes.  The top two boaters and co-anglers in the 24 boat field divvied up $2,700 in total cash payback, not including the $500 Ranger Cup award and the $1,000 Evinrude E-tec award for the winning boater (if he/she runs a 2012 or newer Etec Evinrude).

The new format pays back 100% of the entry fees, 75% to the top 20% of the field, 10% to the state federations and 15% to the TBF Federation National Championship.

After two days of competition, Wade Headrick from Utah bested the boater field with a two day total of 14.24 pounds.  Headrick was crowned District 22’s NSF Champion boater and received a $1,170 paycheck.  He also earned the $500 Ranger Cup award being the highest finishing Ranger Cup qualified angler.

The NSF co-angler champion was Gabe Aroca also from Utah.  Aroca had a tournament total of 8.14 pounds for a total cash payout of $585.  Both Utah anglers will advance to the 2018 Federation National Championship.

DeeJay Evans was the top Nevada boater and finished second overall with 11.73 pounds; he will advance to the national championship representing his state.  Nevada’s Paul Aznerez finished right behind Aroca on the co-angler side with 6.78 pounds.  Aznerez will also represent Nevada at the national championship event.

The Utah Bass Federation made the final sweep taking home bragging rights and the District 22 State Pride Award.  The award is determined by adding the weights of the top four boaters and co-anglers selected prior to the event from each state.

The event went well thanks to the Utah Bass Federation that ran the event and all the support from TBF’s sponsors; FLW, Ranger, Cabela’s, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Evinrude, Berkley and Power Pole.

FULL RESULTS

Prince Reigns At 2017 TBF/FLW Junior World Championship

TBF-2017JWC-D2-Post

Prince Reigns At 2017 TBF/FLW Junior World Championship

Camden, S.C.—Aug. 12, 2017—Syler Prince conquered a tough bite and hard-fishing field of the nation’s top youth anglers to win The Bass Federation’s 2017 Junior World Championship August 11-12 on South Carolina’s Lake Wateree.

The no-entry-fee event featured 11- to 15-year-old state champions from 36 state federations and offered more than $10,000 in prizes and scholarships.

On day one of the two-day event, which was timed to coincide with the FLW Forrest Wood Cup, held on nearby Lake Murray, the youths fished against anglers from their own TBF divisions for a chance to advance to Saturday’s final round. Competitors were paired with another contestant and an adult boat captain, who piloted the boat but didn’t fish.

Lake Wateree provided the perfect proving ground for the would-be Junior World Champions. The 13,700-acre reservoir offered plenty of elbow room and a variety of fish-holding cover and structure, ranging from shoreline vegetation to docks, bridges and offshore sweet spots. Adding to the challenge, the lake’s legendary largemouth bass population played uncharacteristically hard to catch.

Prince, of Palatka, Florida, started strong by winning the Southern Division with two bass for 4 pounds, 4 ounces. “Today went really well,” he said after the weigh-in. “I didn’t miss any fish. I did what I wanted to do. I had the bites that I needed and I got it done.”

The Mid-Atlantic Division’s Jeremy Toler of Oceana, West Virginia, sacked day one’s heaviest weight with three bass for 7 pounds, 6 ounces. Next was Dalton Smith of Brandon, Mississippi, who won the Central Division with two bass for 4 pounds, 14 ounces.

In the Western Division, Matagi Faavale of Coalville, Utah, advanced with one bass weighing 3 pounds, 1 ounce. Reece Fisher of Westfield, Indiana, landed a lone bass weighing 2 pounds, 2 ounces to win the Northern Division, while Nicholas Frumkin of Lincoln, Massachusetts, topped his Eastern Division rivals with one bass weighing 1 pound, 14 ounces.

Weights were zeroed on day two, giving all contestants a fresh start in the finals.

Prince threw a topwater popper along a seawall early in the day to pick up one bass, then targeted weedy main-lake banks on a softbait strategy that had carried him on day one.

“I tried other presentations, but it turned out flippin’ the grass was what I needed to do,” he said, explaining that his go-to rig included a green pumpkin-colored, crawdad-style bait with a ½-ounce tungsten weight, bobber stop, bead and a flippin’ hook.

 

“I put my head down and just kept fishing,” he added. “I basically never sat down except for the boat ride.”

The approach paid off with three more bass for a total weight of 8 pounds, 14 ounces—enough for Prince to claim the coveted JWC crown. “This is great, it feels awesome!” he said of the win, which earned him a $3,000 scholarship to the school of his choice.

Winning the national title is a major accomplishment, but Prince has no plans of resting on his laurels. In fact, he hopes the feat becomes a one of many memorable milestones in a much longer bass fishing career.

Currently in seventh grade, the talented 12-year-old looks forward to high school and collegiate fishing competitions. And considering that other TBF junior anglers have gone on to compete on the FLW Tour and in the FLW Forrest Wood Cup, Prince’s student angler achievements could be just the beginning.

Final official TBF standings for the division winners (listed with day-two catch) are:

  1. Syler Prince, Florida, Southern Division, 8 pounds, 14 ounces (4)
    2. Jeremy Toler, West Virginia, Mid-Atlantic Division, 3 pounds, 10 ounces (2)
    3. Nicholas Frumkin, Massachusetts, Eastern Division, 1 pound, 8 ounces (1)
    4. Dalton Smith, Mississippi, Central Division, 0-0
    5. Reece Fisher, Indiana, Northern Division, 0-0
    6. Matagi Faavale, Utah, Western Division, 0-0

A total of 7 bass weighing 14 pounds came to the TBF scale at scenic Clearwater Cove Marina on day two and were released back into the Wateree system.

The JWC finale capped a week of prefishing and other fun activities for the competitors and their families. Adding to the excitement, all participants had the opportunity to participate in a TBF Junior Champions’ parade across the FLW Forrest Wood Cup stage in Columbia.

The annual TBF Junior World Championship is produced by a partnership between The Bass Federation and FLW Outdoors. Sponsors include Cabela’s, Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Berkley, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Minn Kota and Humminbird.

For details, visit bassfederation.com or call TBF National Headquarters at (580) 765-9031.