PONCA CITY, Okla. (Apr. 17, 2012) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors and the Mississippi Bass Federation will host the 2012 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Mississippi High School Fishing State Championship. The championship will be on Saturday, May 19 on the Tenn-Tom Waterway near Columbus, Miss. Launch will be out of the Stennis East Bank Lock and Dam Recreation Area located in Columbus, Miss.
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 18 at the Launch Ramp Pavilion located at the Stennis East Bank Lock and Dam Recreation Area in Columbus, Miss., with a mandatory rules briefing at 6pm CST. In case of inclement weather, check-in and the mandatory rules briefing will be held at the Quality Inn Columbus, which is also the host hotel. We highly encourage all teams to preregister online or by phone in advance to avoid late registration fees.
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 Mississippi 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 date registered. A $25 late registration fee applies to those registering at check-in. The best way is to pre-register online at highschoolfishing.org.
Mandatory Check-in: Friday, May 18, 5-6pm CST, at the Stennis East Bank Lock and Dam Recreation Area Launch Ramp Pavilion in Columbus, MS; Mandatory rules briefing to follow at 6pm.
Takeoff & Weigh-in: Saturday, May 19, at the Stennis East Bank Lock and Dam Recreation Area on the Tenn-Tom Waterway near Columbus, MS. Takeoff and weigh-in times will be announced at the Mandatory rules briefing. Questions? alex@highschoolfishing.org or 580-765-9031.
Host Hotel: Quality Inn, 1210 Highway 45 North, Columbus, MS, 39705; Rooms will be available to tournament participants and their families at a special rate of $73.03 which includes tax. Call the Quality Inn at 662.329.2422 and ask for the Mississippi High School Bass Fishing Championship Tournament rate. Book your rooms early to guarantee availability!
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.
