TBF Student Angler Federation (SAF) Announces 2021 High School State Championships and Sanctioned Fishing Events Schedule.

PONCA CITY, OK – The Bass Federation’s Student Angler Federation (SAF) announces the 2021 High School Fishing sanctioned schedule. Offering more opportunity than ever before including 48 SAF High School Fishing State Championships,  2 Open Challenge events, the Bass Pro Shops/ Cabela’s Early Bird Open Challenge event, 16 state high school athletic association sanctioned tournaments, as well as a number of FLW High School Fishing Opens (TBA by our partners in fishing at FLW) and the pinnacle event in all of high school fishing the 12^th annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship June 30-July 3 in South Carolina. Available dates/locations are listed below and on the website at www.highschoolfishing.org.

In 2021 across all SAF sanctioned events, more than 35,000 anglers are expected to participate in the SAF High School Fishing program and just between the TBF and FLW major events there will be some 75 plus tournaments in which to compete plus hundreds of other events through local SAF sanctioned trails.

As the founders of the National High School fishing movement in 2007, we continue to see the program grow and get more young anglers and families out into the outdoors. For us it has never been about “growing the sport of tournament fishing” which is one reason why we will not pay cash to kids at our youth events, we do scholarships and prizes only. For us, our high school and youth program under the SAF umbrella is and always has been about education through fishing and getting people into the outdoors. It is not about trying to win some money or getting a sponsor patch on your shirt. It is about having some clean family fun in the outdoors.” said TBF President Robert Cartlidge. “We are proud to have had our partners in fishing at FLW be the very first to join us in the National High School arena. Together we provide more fishing opportunities for not just for youth anglers but all anglers than anyone else in the world. We will continue to jointly push the programs forward to accomplish those goals.”

SAF sanctioned national events will continue advancement opportunities with 1 in 10 teams from each TBF/SAF and/or FLW State Championship, Challenge or Open event earning a spot in the National Championship and ALL SAF members world-wide are eligible to compete in the High School Fishing World Finals where in 2020 High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship offered a record $3.2 Million in College scholarship and prizes up for grabs giving the maximum amount student anglers the best shot ever for a college scholarship, technical or trade school education. NEW for 2021 is both the National Championship winners and the 12^th annual World Championship winners will receive CUSTOM championship rings.

Additionally, High School anglers who win a SAF state championship and are 16 years old or older(one or both team members) will be offered a High School TBF Living The Dream package, a TBF sponsorship for a year to include: fully paid ADULT TBF competitor membership, advancement opportunity to represent their home state in a TBF National Semi-Finals as a co-angler, with fully paid entry fees! From there, the sky is the limit, they could qualify for the TBF Federation National Championship or beyond!  Check it all out at HighSchoolFishing.org.

2021 12^th Annual High School World Finals / National Championship:

June 30-July3     Lake Hartwell              Anderson, SC.

2021 Season SAF High School Fishing State Championships:

Jan. 30, 2021      Florida State Championship – St. Johns River                                                     Tavares, FL

Feb. 13              Alabama State Championship – Neely Henry                                                      Gadsden, AL

Feb. 13              Texas State Championship – Sam Rayburn                                                        Zavalla, TX

Feb. 20              South Carolina State Championship & Open – Lake Hartwell                               Anderson, SC

Feb. 28              Georgia State Championship – Lake Lanier                                                         Gainesville, GA

March 7              Arkansas State Championship – DeGray Lake                                                    Arkadelphia, AR

March 14            Louisiana State Championship – Red River                                                        Shreveport, LA

March 21            Mississippi State Championship – Pickwick Lake                                                 Corinth, MS

March 27            Kentucky State Championship – Lake Cumberland                                              Burnside, KY

March 27            Arizona State Championship – Lake Martinez                                                      Yuma, AZ

April 3                Tennessee State Championship – Lake Chickamauga                                         Dayton, TN

April 17              North Carolina State Championship – High Rock Lake                                         Salisbury, NC

April 17              Virginia State Championship – South Holston                                                      Bristol, VA

April 24              Kansas State Championship – Melvern Lake                                                       Melvern, KS

April 24              Utah State Championship – Sand Hollow                                                            Hurricane, UT

May 1                 Missouri State Championship – Truman Lake                                                      Clinton, MO

May 1                 MD, DE, NJ Tri-State Championship – Potomac River                                         Woodbridge, VA

May 2                 Oklahoma State Championship – Lake Texoma                                                  Durant, OK

May 2                 West Virginia State Championship – Sutton Lake                                                Sutton, WV

May 8                 MA, RI, CT Tri State Championship – Quaboag                                                   Brookfield, MA

May 16               Illinois State Championship – Carlyle Lake                                            TBA

May 22               Ohio State Championship – Delaware Lake                                                         Delaware, OH

May 22               Iowa HS State Championship – TBA

May 23               Wisconsin State Championship – Lake Winnebago                                              Oshkosh, WI

June 5                Indiana State Championship – Brookville Lake                                                    Brookville, IN

June 5                Nebraska State Championship – Red Willow Reservoir                                       McCook, NE

June 6                South Dakota State Championship – Big Stone Lake                                           Hartford Beach, SD

July 10               Maine State Championship – Thompson Lake                                                     Oxford, ME

July 11               Pennsylvania State Championship – Oneida Lake                                               Brewerton, NY

July 13               Minnesota State Championship – Lake Waconia                                                 Waconia, MN

July 18               Vermont State Championship – Lake Champlain                                                 Colchester, VT

July 18               Colorado State Championship – Lake Pueblo                                                      Pueblo, CO

July 25               Michigan State Championship -Lake Hubbard                                                     Hubbard, MI

Sept 12              New York State Championship – Mohawk River                                                   Waterford, NY

Oct 3                  New Hampshire State Championship – Sunapee                                                 Newberry, NH

TBD                          Nevada State Championship – TBA

TBD                          Oregon State Championship – TBA

TBD                          California State Championship – TBA

TBD                          Idaho State Championship – TBA

TBD                          Ontario State Championship – TBA

2021 FLW High School Fishing Opens: (TBA) Soon

2021 SAF High School Fishing Challenges\Open Events:

Feb 6, 2021        Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Georgia Early Bird Challenge – Clarks Hill                             Evans, GA

Feb. 20              South Carolina State Championship & Open – Lake Hartwell                               Anderson, SC

TBD                   New Hampshire Open

2021 State Athletic Association Events: (Qualified teams only)

Jan. 23               GHSA #1 Lake Seminole                                                                                   Bainbridge, GA

Feb. 13              GHSA #2 West Point Lake                                                                                 LaGrange, GA

Feb. 27              GAPPS Qualifier – Lake Lanier                                                                           Gainesville, GA

March 20            GHSA #3 – Oconee                                                                                           Buckhead, GA

March 20            GAPPS Finals Championship – Oconee                                                              Buckhead, GA

March 20            MissHSAA – Invitational Pickwick Lake                                                               Corinth, MS

March 27            LHSAA Reg 1 Regional Championship – Ouachita River                                     Monroe, LA

March 27            LHSAA Reg 2 Regional Championship – Toledo Bend                                         Many, LA

March 27            LHSAA Reg 3 Regional Championship – Atchafalaya Basin                                 Berwick, LA

March 27            LHSAA Reg 4 Regional Championship – Bayou Segnette                                    Westwego, LA

April 10              GHSA – #4 Clarks Hill                                                                                        Evans, GA

April 17              LHSAA State Finals – Cross Lake                                                                      Shreveport, LA

April 24              KHSAA Reg 1 Regional Championship – Lake Barkley                                        Kuttawa, KY

April 24              KHSAA Reg 2 Regional Championship – Lake Cumberland                                 Jamestown, KY

April 24              KHSAA Reg 3 Regional Championship – Green River Lake                                 Campbellsville, KY

April 24              KHSAA Reg 4 Regional Championship – Cave Run Lake                      Salt Lick, KY

May 7-8              KHSAA State Finals – Kentucky Lake                                                                 Calvert City, KY

May 8                 GHSA State Finals – Lake Lanier                                                                       Gainesville, GA

GHSA – Georgia High School Athletics

GAPPS – Georgia Athletics Private Parochial School

MissHSAA – Mississippi High School Activities Association

LHSAA – Louisiana High School Athletics Association

KHSAA – Kentucky High School Athletics Association

Additional SAF events are being added for the latest events line up, visit HighSchoolFishing.org.

Complete rules are available at HighSchoolFishing.org and FLWFishing.com

Registration for the 2021 season state championships and challenge events is Open now at HighSchoolFishing.org for SAF High School Fishing State Championships, each team must compete in the state in which their school is located. Teams from all states can compete in a SAF challenge event or a FLW High School Fishing Open tournament. Entries for all State Championships, SAF Challenge events or State Athletic Association events should be made at HighSchoolFishing.org or by calling TBF at (580) 765-9031, entries for FLW Open HS events should be made at Flwfishing.com  or by call 270-252-1000. There is no limit to the number of teams accepted into a tournament from each school or club except per State Athletic Association rules and those events only.

All TBF/SAF and FLW High School Fishing tournaments are free to enter there is no event entry fees. The tournaments are two-person (team) events for students in grades 9-12 (one members of each team can be 7^th or 8^th) plus a adult boat captain, (3 people to a boat no exceptions) and open to any SAF-affiliated high school club.

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 50 years. TBF founded the Student Angler Federation and the National High School Fishing program in 2007 to promote clean family fun and education through fishing and are proud partners in fishing with FLW. Visit bassfederation.com or highschoolfishing.org and “LIKE US” on Facebook.

Drought conditions and a cold front made the 2020 SAF High School a tough and challenging tournament. 14 High School teams competed for the title and 5 teams managed to bring in the 15″ keeper size bass. The top three teams managed to catch more than one keeper.

The Colorado SAF High school champions are Dominic Spengler and Angelo Valentine with three fish weighing 7.31lb. Angelo will be leaving for the US Navy and we are proud of him going out with the championship.

2nd place was Clayton Russel and Thomas Mayer with three fish that weighed 6.21lb.

3rd place was the team of Cody Miller and Dillon Robertshaw with two fish weighing 4.69lb.

The morning started out with the water looking like glass. All the teams were excited and the kids were ready to go. Everyone idled out to the no wake buoys and had our National Anthem.

After that, it was go time and all the teams rushed to their starting spots. As all the teams approached the bank, they saw shad busting on the edge of the bank. The team of Izec Easter and Corey Williams were able to capitalize on a 3lb smallmouth and a almost 5lb largemouth on topwater. They went on to finish their limit and take 1st place with 12.24lb. using creature baits and crank baits.

The second place team of Ben Schafler and Charlie Stewart couldn’t keep the right sized fish on but both reported learning a lot from their boat captain. Their total weight was 6.68lb.

Our third place team, Talynn Madrid and Kyle Luis had a fun time fishing together but also expressed too many fish coming off at the boat. They brought in 3.40lb.

Our only team unable to bring in fish, Cameron Calvez and Colten Hartgroves said they were also able to learn a lot about different styles of fishing, but caught a lot of bluegill using conventional bass gear.

Overall, all the teams had fun and we had a lot of support from our boat captains. We are glad to see the sport of bass fishing grow in the state of Nevada.