TBF’S FIRST NATIONAL SEMI-FINAL EVENT MARKS NEW ERA OF TOURNAMENT FISHING

Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico Advance Anglers to Nationals

Greg Gizzi boater champion

The Colorado TBF played host to the first TBF National Semifinal contest for District 21 on Lake Pueblo in Pueblo, Co. 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.

In District 21, top TBF anglers from Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico competed August 13-14 for the chance to advance to the 2017 Federation National Championship and to win enough cash to travel to the Spring 2017 event.

A total of $5,100 in cash prizes, champion titles and slots in the national championship were awarded in the boater and co-angler divisions.  The top three boater and co-anglers in the 16 boat field divvied up $4,100 in total payback, including a $500 Ranger Cup award.  Had the district champion boater been running a 2012 or newer Evinrude E-tec., Evinrude would have also kicked in another $1,000 to that angler.

After two days of competition, the District 21 National Semi-Final Champion titles would go to the boater from Colorado, Greg Gizzi, and the co-angler also from Colorado, David Pauly.

Rod Allen Ranger cupRod Allen from Colorado Springs nabbed the $500 Ranger Cup award, and the Colorado TBF made the final sweep taking home bragging rights and the first District 21 State Pride Award with 47.96 total pounds.

Lake Pueblo produced lots of bass but landing keepers proved difficult. On the boater’s side, a single limit was brought to the scales on day one by Jarod Rosten who led it with 9.33 pounds.  Greg Gizzi held second with four fish weighing 9.17 pounds and Stephen Way had four fish for 7.03 pounds in third.

Anglers were faced with similar conditions on day two, but Gizzi was able to land enough keepers to top the standings with four fish weighing 9.74 pounds and a two day total of 18.91 pounds.

David Pauly co angler champion

David Pauly led it on the co-angler side from start to finish. Pauly had two fish for 3.47 pounds on day one and two fish for 3.82 pounds on day two for a tournament total of 7.29 pounds.

The top boater and top co-angler from each state advancing to the 2017 Federation National Championship are as follows; (boater, co-angler) Colorado, Greg Gizzi  and David Pauly; Wyoming, Bubba ONeil and Lee Thomas; New Mexico, Andy Cochran and Adam Campbell. Congratulations to them all.

 

FISHER DAVIS CROWNED 2016 JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPION

JWC FINAL TOff-65Lake Guntersville was tough this week on the 37 junior anglers that advanced through their states to get a chance at the title. But, Fisher Davis, from Mount Ida, Ark., put together the winning limit on the final day of the 2016 Junior World Championship in Scottsboro, Ala.
JWC FINAL_-28Fisher had a solid day yesterday, and kept his pattern going today to catch a limit of bass weighing 12 pounds 15 ounces.  A slight cloud cover and light rain helped flipped the switch from yesterday’s intense heat.
JWC FINAL_-70Anglers in boats one and two had hit them good the day before, so by yesterday’s totals Fisher was seemingly in the middle of the pack. “I was worried; I was real worried. But, I didn’t change a thing,” Fisher said.  “I hit some spots, but I hit them yesterday.  I think it was more just consistency.”
Fisher caught most of his fish using a junebug colored, Texas rig type style. He only had sixbites today, culling one and bringing the rest down the final stretch.  When an angler can go six for six he certainly deserves to be crowned Junior World Champion.
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DAY ONE ACTION HEATS UP AT 2016 JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY FLW AND TBF

top six div champsThe heat index on Lake Guntersville was near 100 degrees today but although action was hot the bites were slow on day one of the 2016 Junior World Championship in Scottsboro, Ala.

Thirty-seven of the TBF’s finest junior anglers from across the country traveled to compete in the event.  The day one format pitted anglers from each of the six TBF divisions against each other to decide who would emerge the division champions to battle it out tomorrow for the world championship titles.

day 1 leader kyler mckie

Kyler McKie from N. Augusta, Ga., paced the field with a four fish sack with a net weight of 13 pounds 2 ounces. He narrowly edged out Hunter Young from Melbourne, Ky., who brought four to the scales that weighed 10 pounds 7 ounces to finish second overall and in the Southern Division.

Isaiah Rios from Phoenix, Ariz., had four fish that weighed 11 pounds 4 ounces to capture the Western Division title, as well as, a shot at tomorrow’s Championship final.

Cameron Rhodes of Warwick, R.I., brought in one of the few five fish limits, which weighed 10 pounds 3 ounces to outdistance, Asa Forbes, from Fairfield, Vt., for the Eastern Division title.  Rhodes will also join McKie and Rios in tomorrow’s final round.

The Central divisions, Fisher Davis, had a four fish bag that weighed 10 pounds to advance and capture the division title.

The sixth and final qualifier from the Northern Division was, Scott Sledge, from Greenwood, Ind., with a limit weighing 9 pounds 10 ounces.

The anglers representing the Mid-Atlantic Division had a rough day struggling to land fish of legal limits.  As a result, the division title was settled by a tie breaker determined by the oldest angler, which was Jacob Ferrell from Vernon Hill, Va.

Mitchell StraffonFinal day action at Goose Pond starts with take-off at 6:30am and weigh-in at 1:30pm.  After the junior world champion is crowned the whole field will travel to Huntsville, Ala., for the most prestigious professional bass tournament in the world, the Forrest Wood Cup.  All junior anglers will get to take a walk across FLW’s main stage before the Pros weigh-in on the third day of the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup.

Live coverage of both the Junior World Championship and Forrest Wood Cup can be found on www.bassfederation.com and www.flwfishing.com.

Also, standings and pictures for the events will be on TBF’s Facebook page and FLW’s Facebook page.

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2016 Junior World Championship Heads to Lake Guntersville

2016  Forrest Wood Cup, Junior World Championship and TBF’s Annual President’s Meetings, August 4-7

2015 11-15 Champion - Tyler White

2015 junior World Champion – Tyler White

Ponca City, Okla., August 2, 2016 – This week the sport of bass fishing will never be the same as new champions will be crowned, lives will be changed and decisions that will shape the future of the sport will be made as three events coincide in Alabama.  Junior state champions from 37 states head to Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Ala., August 4-6 to fight for the title, scholarship money and prizes in the 2016 Junior World Championship presented by TBF and FLW.  Like in years past, the JWC is held in conjunction with the most prestigious professional bass fishing tournament in the world, the Forrest Wood Cup.

The 2016 Forrest Wood Cup will be held on Lake Wheeler in Huntsville, Ala., August 4-7.  All of TBF’s Junior World Championship anglers will get the chance to walk across the FLW main stage on Saturday after their final weigh-in.   Anglers and their families are also invited to join the Forrest Wood Cup festivities all week with daily weigh-ins at 5pm at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala., and the final day weigh-in on Sunday, August 7.

Adding to the excitement of the week are TBF’s annual Presidents, Youth and Conservation Directors and Shareholders Meetings.  In the meetings, the elected leaders and volunteers from each state represented will vote on issues that will decide the future of the company.

There will definitely be a lot of moving and shaking going on in Alabama this week.  Take off and weigh-ins for the Junior World Championship will be held at Goose Pond Marina at 2:30pm on Friday and 1:30pm on Saturday.  To follow the events online, check out www.bassfederation.com for live streaming and standings, and TBF’s Facebook for more pictures and stories, as well as, www.flwfishing.com and FLW’s Facebook.