BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. (May 25, 2017) – The duo of Johnathon Balbas and Kyle Balbas, both of Madera, California, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 20 pounds, 3 ounces to win the 2017 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing California Open tournament at the Cal Delta. The win advanced the team to the 2017 High School Fishing National championship, held June 27-July 1 at Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama.
A field of 53 teams competed in the no-entry fee, tournament which launched from Russo’s Marina in Bethel Island. In FLW/TBF High School Fishing competition, the top 10-percent of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.
The top five teams on the California Delta that advanced to the 2017 High School Fishing National Championship was:
1st: Johnathon Balbas and Kyle Balbas, both of Madera, Calif., (five bass, 20-3)
2nd: Yuba Sutter Fishing Club, Yuba City, Calif. – Adrian Murar, Elk Grove, Calif., and Ryan Jaeger, Yuba City, Calif., (five bass, 16-1)
3rd: Vista del Lago High School, Folsom, Calif. – Brandon Burkey and Luke Johns, both of Folsom, Calif., (five bass, 15-13)
4th: Deer Valley High School, Antioch, Calif. – Isaiah Roddick and Enrique Herrera, both of Antioch, Calif., (four bass, 14-15)
5th: Delta Teen Team, Oakley, Calif. – Clayton Galassi, Watsonville, Calif., and Michael Alaga, Aromas, Calif., (five bass, 14-1)
Rounding out the top 10 teams were:
6th: San Diego Junior Bass Anglers, San Diego, Calif. – Larry Snow III and Sean Ives, both of Lakesie, Calif., (five bass, 13-13)
7th: Hilmar High School, Hilmar, Calif. – Harrison Chang, Newman, Calif., and Kyler Oliver, Ceres, Calif., (five bass, 13-11)
8th: Golden Sierra High School, Garden Valley, Calif. – Julian Gebron, Georgetown, Calif., and Abram Sample, Garden Valley, Calif., (five bass, 13-6)
9th: Lake County High School Fishing Club, Lake County, Calif. – Jason Gentle and Nathan Phillips, both of Kelseyville, Calif., (five bass, 13-5)
10th: Liberty High School, Brentwood, Calif. – Michael Nienaber, Discovery Bay, Calif., and Triston Otis, Byron, Calif., (five bass, 12-13)
Complete results from the event and photos of the top five teams can be found at FLWFishing.com.
The 2017 Bass Pro Shops FLW High School Fishing California Open was a two-person (team) event for students in grades 7-12, open to any Student Angler Federation (SAF) affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10 percent of each Challenge, Open, and state championship field will advance to the High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
In addition to the High School Fishing National Championship, all High School Fishing anglers nationwide automatically qualify for the world’s largest high school bass tournament, the 2017 High School Fishing World Finals, held in conjunction with the National Championship. At the 2016 World Finals more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded.
Full schedules and the latest announcements are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
About The Bass Federation
The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is a member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. TBF is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. The Federation is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing, youth and conservation organization there is. TBF, our affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 events each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 45 years. TBF founded the Student Angler Federation and the National High School Fishing program in 2008 to promote clean family fun and education through fishing. Visitbassfederation.com or highschoolfishing.org and “LIKE US” on Facebook.
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Joseph Opager | Director of Public Relations | FLW | joseph.opager@flwfishing.com
office 612.337.1989 | cell 218.434.0748 | 8096 Excelsior Boulevard, Hopkins MN 55343
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