PONCA CITY, Okla. (Apr. 30, 2012) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, the Town of Kimball and the Tennessee Bass Federation announced it will host the 2012 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Tennessee High School Fishing State Championship. The event will be Saturday, May 12 on Nickajack Lake launching out of the Shellmound Ramp near Kimball, Tenn. The championship is a two person team event for students in grades 9-12. Registration for anglers and their “coach,” who will provide the boat they compete in, is online at HighSchoolFishing.org . Check-in begins at 5pm CST on Friday, May 11 at the Kimball Town Park with a mandatory rules briefing to follow at 6:30pm. We highly encourage all teams to preregister online or by phone in advance to avoid late registration fees.
“The Town of Kimball is honored to host the SAF Tennessee High School Fishing State Championship for 2012,” Town of Kimball Mayor, David Jackson, stated. “We’re looking forward to all the families and other visitors coming to Kimball that weekend. These youth will one day be the leaders of our state, and with the patience and knowledge it takes to fish this is a great foundation. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen has always supported different youth programs, and this tournament provides us an opportunity to show our support for the young anglers of the state. We hope everyone has a great time in Kimball and we wish all the anglers the best of luck!”
Kimball is rolling out the red carpet for the event! They’ll be providing a catered dinner Friday after the rules briefing, a T-shirt for the participants, as well as, other fishing goodies. Professional angler and fishing guide, David DuVall, will give a brief introduction on the Alabama/Tennessee rig and Nickajack Lake. Prizes for the winners will be donated by Yank-Um Custom Tackle, Sworming Hornet Fish Head Spins, Wackem Crazy Baits, Trixster Custom Baits, JP’s Jigs and Rigs, and Timber Ghost Hunt-N-Fish. Staff from Sworming Hornet/Yank-Um Rods will be at the meeting and weigh-in with all products available at discounted rates.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s fishing team will be on hand to answer questions about college fishing. Coverage of the event will be on Channel3Outdoors.com, an affiliate of WRCB in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Students and parents can go to HighSchoolFishing.org for details on the Student Angler Federation (SAF) and to sign up. Cost is only $25/ year and includes full TBF and FLW Outdoors benefits, including access to the all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition and insurance coverage for students and their club. The winning two-person team from each state championship will advance to an FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing Conference Championship held in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Conference Championship. Those winners will advance to the FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing National Championship held in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship in the spring of 2013. All SAF members and state championship participants qualify for the largest event in high school fishing, the 2012 High School Fishing World Finals to compete for thousands of dollars in college scholarships and prizes. Each team that qualifies for a conference and/or national championship will receive a travel allowance to help offset expenses. The National Champions 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 fee, which includes full TBF/FLW Outdoors membership benefits for the year, as well as, free entry to ALL SAF sanctioned events!
Another unique feature of an SAF sanctioned event is the “angler testing” component. Anglers 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,” SAF Program Manager, Alex Craw, commented. “The Federation is driven by our desire to promote education through fishing and the testing component is designed to do exactly that. We also offer all TBF/SAF members 11 free online training courses in our member’s only online store with Faculty of Fishing’s angler advantage program. Put this package together with all the programs our affiliated state federations like the Tennessee Bass Federation have to offer, and our partnership with FLW Outdoors, and the sky is the limit,” Craw continued. “These young anglers and their families have opportunities unlike anything the industry has ever seen.”
Event Details:
State Championship sign-up: PRE-REGISTER ONLINE at HighSchoolFishing.org . Boat numbers are determined by paid registration date. A $25 late registration fee applies to those registering or paying at check-in. The best way is to pre-register and pre pay online at www.highschoolfishing.org .
Mandatory Check-in: Friday, May 11, 5-6:30pm CST, at the Kimball Town Park, 3591 Industrial Blvd., Kimball, TN 37347. Mandatory rules briefing at 6:30pm with dinner compliments of the Town of Kimball.
Takeoff & Weigh-in: Saturday, May 12, at the Shellmound Park Ramp on Nickajack Lake, 2745 TVA Rd, Jasper, TN 37347. Takeoff, 5:30am and weigh-in, 2pm CST. Competition waters include Nickajack Lake only; anglers are NOT allowed to lock. Questions? alex@highschoolfishing.org or 580-765-9031
Host Hotels: The Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Super 8 and America’s Best in Kimball have committed discounted rates to participants and their families that mention the TN High School Fishing State Championship. Please support the Town of Kimball and these featured host hotels!
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 www.bassfederation.com
