June 29^th   – Pickwick Lake

30 youth from all corners of the state of Mississippi traveled to the Tennessee River near Iuka, MS June 28^th  and 29^th for the SAF MS High School State Championship.   From the Gulf Coast to the Delta area the High School anglers had the map covered.  Fishing on Pickwick in June is widely considered to be the best of the year and these young anglers could feel it.  Spirits were high during the pre-tournament meeting, held Friday evening at State Line Boat Ramp.  “I can’t wait to get out there,” said Rhett Hensley, a 15 year old High School Freshman at Magnolia Heights, near Coldwater, Mississippi.  “The ledge bite should be great after the TVA Starts pulling current after 10 today,” added Ty Jobe, a 17 year old Pickwick regular and former TBF State Champion back in 2011.  “I’m ready,” was all Nathan Morlok, the 2010 MS TBF champion had to say.  Participants were briefed on the lake length limits and tournament rules for the event and then released to their hotels for a short night’s sleep before the big event. Continue reading

The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW and Vermont Bass Federation hosted the 2013 Student Angler Federation (SAF) New York and Vermont High School Fishing State Championship on Sunday, June 30. The event was held on Lake Champlain near the town of Shoreham, Vt., launching out of Larrabees Point.

New York High School anglers Alec Morrison and Erik Rivers caught a nice limit that weighed in at a very nice 20.84lbs to be crowned the 2013 New York State Champions. In addition to their big bag, they had a 5.37lb lunker fish. Second place went to Nick Wyss and Matt Donnelly of Eldred Fishing Club who also had a limit that weighed 11.66 lbs. Vermont High School State Champions were Max Stearns and Justin Ives. They had a limit that weighed 16.53 lbs.

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 benefits, including FLW Magazine e-Edition and insurance coverage for students and their club. The state champions from each state will advance to an FLW/TBF High School Fishing Conference Championship. Conference winners will advance to the FLW/TBF High School Fishing National Championship held in conjunction with the FLW College Fishing National Championship in the spring of 2014. All SAF members nationwide and all state championship participants automatically qualify for the largest event in high school fishing, the 2013 High School Fishing World Finals.  At these events students will compete for thousands in college scholarships and prizes. Each team qualifying for a conference and/or national championship will receive a travel allowance to help offset expenses. The National Champions will also receive a $5,000 scholarship each to use at the university of their choice.