Ponca City, Okla. (Feb. 21, 2011) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, announced it will be hosting the inaugural Student Angler Federation South Carolina High School Fishing State Championship, at Keowee Lake just outside of Seneca, SC. The state championship is a two person team event for students in grades 9-12. Registration for high school anglers and their “coach,” who will provide the boat they compete in, is now open online at HighSchoolFishing.org or by calling 580.765.9031. Check-in starts at 4:00pm on Fri., March 25 at the Gignilliat Community Center, with a mandatory rules briefing to follow at 6pm. We highly encourage all teams to pre-register online or by phone in well in advance of the event to avoid any late registration fees. The event is being supported locally by the City of Seneca, as well as the county tourism groups there and the Clemson University Collegiate Bass Fishing Team.
“On behalf of The City of Seneca, Oconee County PRT and the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce, We are very excited to be hosting the inaugural South Carolina High School Bass Fishing Championship,” Stated Seneca Mayer Dan Alexander.
“The Clemson University Bass Fishing team is thrilled to be working with The Bass Federation to bring the very first High School State Bass Fishing Championship to Keowee lake. This is a tremendous opportunity not only for our team to reach out to the community but also to give these young anglers an opportunity to come learn and fish with us here at Clemson” stated the club’s Co-founder Adam Boswell.
Students and parents can go to HighSchoolFishing.org for details on joining the Student Angler Federation (SAF) and signing up for an event. Cost is only $25 a year and includes full TBF and FLW Outdoors member benefits, including unlimited access to the all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition and insurance coverage for students and their club. The winning two-person team will be offered a $1000.00 scholarship to attend Clemson; $500.00 for each angler if they choose to attend Clemson University, advancement to an FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing Regional Championship held in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championship hosted on a 
college campus this fall. Ranger boats will be provided for the high school anglers to fish from at each regional championship, and the winners from each regional will advance to the FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing National Championship held on a college campus in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship in the spring of 2012. All SAF members and state championship participants automatically qualify to fish the largest event in high school fishing, the 2011 High School Fishing World Finals, July 20-23 in Russellville, Ark., to compete for thousands in college scholarships and prizes. Each team that qualifies for a regional championship and the national championship will receive a travel allowance to help offset expenses. The High School Fishing National Championship winner’s will also each receive a $5,000 scholarship to use at the university of their choice.
If you’re not an SAF member, there’s a $25 per angler entry fee for the state championship, which includes full TBF and FLW Outdoors membership benefits. Also, it’s a onetime fee, so you won’t have to pay to fish another SAF sanctioned event all year!
“We’re very excited to have the TBF of South Carolina, Oconee County and the Clemson University Bass Fishing Team to help bring this event to South Carolina,” TBF National President, Robert Cartlidge, said. “Our affiliated state federations are the backbone of the fishing industry; Oconee County has opened its “home” to the High School students and Clemson University, complete with a collegiate bass fishing team, is the perfect home for young anglers wanting a first class education and competitive fishing at the college level.”
High School anglers are fortunate to have the TBF of South Carolina Federation in this state and eager to help with this event.” TBF National Youth Director, Mark Gintert, commented. “Our Student Angler Federation has a great start in South Carolina with several state students participating in our High School Fishing World Finals last year held in Russellville, Arkansas. We are looking forward to see how they have progressed.”
Another unique feature of an SAF sanctioned event is the “angler testing” component. All participants can take a free online test at HighSchoolFishing.org about boater safety, conservation and angler ethics, which makes them eligible for contingency awards at their state championship. “It’s an industry first by TBF and a tremendous way to emphasize the importance of education to these student anglers,” TBF National Youth Director, Mark Gintert, said. “The Federation is driven by our desire to promote education through fishing. The testing component is designed to do exactly that. When you put this package together with our partnership with FLW Outdoors, the sky is the limit for these young anglers. They’ll have opportunities unlike anything the industry has ever seen.”
Event Details:
- State Championship sign-up: PRE-REGISTER ONLINE at Highchoolfishing.org OR BY PHONE 580.765.9031. Questions? info@highschoolfishing.org or call 580.765.9031. If you have to you may register for the tournament at the Friday Mandatory Check-in HOWEVER, there will be a $25.00 per angler late fee. The best way is to pre-register online at highschoolfishing.org
- Mandatory Check-in: Friday, March 25, 4-6 p.m. EST, Gignilliat Community Center, 621 N. Townville Center, Seneca, SC. 29678 (864)885-2710; Rules briefing 6:00 p.m.
- Takeoff & Weigh-in: Saturday, March 26, South Cove Park, 1099 South Cove Road 7:30am to 3:00pm.
About FLW Outdoors
FLW Outdoors is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free, as well as, sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com.
About The Bass Federation
The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. TBF is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing organization. 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 a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 40 years. Visit bassfederation.com.
