PONCA CITY, Okla. (Nov. 13. 2014) – The Future Fisherman Foundation announces its annual online auction is scheduled for Dec. 1 – 8, and once again boasts an impressive lineup of outdoor products and guided fishing trips, fresh and saltwater, with the door still open for more to be added.

The important fundraiser for the non-profit organization is managed on eBay and helps support Future Fisherman’s “Ensuring the Future of Fishing” mission and its legendary programs like “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs” and “Physh Ed.”

The auction opens at 8 a.m. CST, Dec. 1. Participation is easy, requiring only an online visit to

www.FutureFisherman.org, clicking on the “F3 Auctions” tab, and following the links to the eBay non-profit auction site for viewing and bidding on Future Fisherman’s list of items.

A top prize repeating from last year’s successful event is a lunch outing with Ranger Boats’ icons Forrest and Nina Wood in Flippin, Ark. Accompanying the lunch package is a half-day fishing trip on nearby Bull Shoals Lake, with the guide handpicked by the Ranger founder.

“The number and quality of fishing trips from all across the country on the auction list are amazing, with many being hosted by top professional anglers and fishing celebrities,” said Future Fisherman’s Mark Gintert. “The donated products are equally impressive, ranging from lure assortments to rod and reel outfits to foul weather gear to top-of-the-line electronics. With holiday season gift-buying top of mind for many right now, this is definitely a put-it-on-the-calendar activity.”

The Future Fisherman auction closes at 5 p.m. CST, Dec. 8. Gintert said the prizes are awarded in a timely manner after the auction’s end so that those who have purchased them as gifts will have them in time for Christmas.

Gintert also said the Foundation is still accepting donations for the auction too. Those interested in providing fishing trips, products and memorabilia can make contact by e-mailing info@futurefisherman.org.

All proceeds from the auction help the Future Fisherman Foundation’s efforts to engage youth in positive lifestyle programs such as fishing and getting them involved in the great outdoors.

Established in 1986, the Future Fisherman Foundation unites the sportfishing industry and a nationwide network of state outdoor educators, national conservation groups and youth organizations.

Although youth focused, the efforts help people of all ages have safe and enjoyable fishing experiences while also fostering conservation ethics.

The Future Fisherman Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

The Ellison High School Fishing Team competed in their first fishing tournament on Saturday, the 8^th November. It was a little chilly at launch time and windy in the afternoon, but all in all, a great learning experience and a lot of fun for the teams that participated. Fishing the newly formed Central Texas High School Tournament Trail, the teams fish Lake Belton. They launched at 6:30AM and Lake Belton being true to its reputation proved to be a challenge for these anglers. The tournament ended at 2:00PM and each team presented their days catch, it was the Team of Christian Almandoz and Nathan Price from Ellison High School taking first place. The Team of Ahmad Holt and Terrell McDade also from Ellison took second place. Rounding out the top 3, the Team of Shawn Carver and Harlen Carver from Killeen High School took third.  The Teams next tournament will be on the 13^th of December and will have the Teams once again putting their skills to the test on Lake Belton. Congratulations to all teams that participated in Saturdays Event.

Central Texas High School Tournament Schedule

When the Southeast Texas High School Fishing Association hosted its first tournament on Dec. 7 of 2013, no one could have seen this coming. “I arrived at the ramp that morning at about 3:45 am and there were already 70 boats in the parking lot” said SETX President and Lumberton HS advisor Bryan Thomas. “We had to grow up real fast that day and we learned an awful lot throughout the 2013 season” he continued. While no one could have prophesized 262 HS fishing teams on that cold windy day at Sam Rayburn, it is not hard to predict where the sport is headed in the future. Thomas went on to say “We are absolutely thrilled with what we accomplished in our first year, but we know we can do even better for our kids in the upcoming season”.

“The most interesting thing we learned last year is that while we quickly became the largest HS fishing trail in the country, we know that HS fishing in our area is still in its infancy and that we must keep preparing for what the future will bring in this sport” said SETX VP Tom Selman, who is also the advisor at Port Neches High School. “One of our goals is to give every kid in SE Texas the opportunity to fish competitively for their respective high school” Selman continued. Last year, 28 SETX schools took part in that December tournament on Rayburn. This year, the group expects to see at least 40 SE Texas high schools take part in the 2014-2015 season opener at Rayburn on Dec. 6^th. Selman goes on to say “The tournaments are the fun part, but keeping up with the growth requires all of us to work months ahead in order to provide the best opportunities for the kids of SE Texas”.

“Our primary focus as an organization last year was to provide our kids with an end of year championship that the world of HS fishing had never seen before, and we did that” said SETX Treasurer Ted O’Dell, who is also the team advisor at Buna High School. The season ending championship paid out $60,000.00 in scholarships to the young anglers of SE Texas. “Some of those kids are in college now and are using that money to help them further their education and better their lives, that is what this is all about” continued O’Dell. The inaugural season was obviously a huge success for SETX, but do not expect the same in the upcoming season, expect more! “We know we must work even harder to provide more opportunities for our young anglers this season and we aim to do that” said O’Dell.

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