Blanton & Wade Named 2011 Ohio State Champions

The Ohio High School State Championship took place on the Ohio River in scenic Gallapolis, Ohio.  Sixteen teams blasted off on the morning of July 9th and all but three brought back fish to the scales that afternoon.  With the assistance of several members of the Ohio Bass Federation, an Ohio Champion was crowned.

Zach Blanton and Winston Wade representing the Gallia Academy Blue Devils are your 2011 Ohio High School State Champions.  They weighed in a five bass limit weighing 7.25 pounds which included the big bass of the tournament, a 3.26 smallmouth bass.  They caught a limit of small keepers during the early morning hours and kept culling throughout the day.  When asked how it felt to represent Ohio as the first ever high school champions Zach Blanton exclaimed, “This feels amazing and we really couldn’t have done it without our boat captain, Coach May”. Blanton and Wade will advance to the SAF Northern Regional to be held in conjunction with the FLW College Fishing Northern Regional which will be September 3rd on Sayers Lake in State College, Pennsylvania.  Also, that event’s weigh-in will take place on the campus of Penn State University. Continue reading

Future Fishing Foundation (F3) Names Gintert New Executive Director

July 6, 2011 – Ponca City, Oklahoma

The Future Fisherman Foundation has recently named industry pacesetter, Mark Gintert, the new Executive Director.  Gintert is an avid outdoorsman and angler with an extensive background in the private business sector both in manufacturing and retailing as a past owner of a successful boat dealership.  For the last 5 years he’s served as the National Youth Director and the National Conservation Director for The Bass Federation (TBF); Gintert will continue to hold those positions as well.  TBF is the oldest and largest organized grass roots fishing organization in the country with three main principles, Fishing, Youth, and Conservation. Continue reading

Starr and Brady Win 2011 Kansas High School Fishing State Championship

The 2011 Kansas TBF High School Championship held on Wilson Lake, in Russell County named Sam Starr and Brady Sherman the first Kansas High State Champions last weekend.  All the high school anglers caught several fish out there and each team brought in a limit of five bass, making it a great day of fishing for everyone.  Starr and Sherman caught a limit weighing 12lb 8ounces to seal the deal, just five ounces ahead of the second place finishers.  The two-man team started out with a bang catching a limit of keepers within the first 15 minutes.  But, the wind picked up and the team’s catching streak fizzled.  With only two hours left the team returned to their original spot and started to pull in one after another.  Starr switched to a jig, an Okeechobee Craw from Real Deal Custom Tackle, and began to land larger keepers.   Sherman tied on a jig and followed suit.  The rest is in the 12lb 8ounces win and the 2011 Kansas High School State Champion titles. Continue reading