Federation National Office Newsletter Archive

April 13, 2012

Gagner wins the 2012 Federation National Championship!

March 31, 2012 – It came down to a tie-breaker for the national champion title today as 14 division champions walked across the FLW Tour stage in Branson, Mo., on the final of the 2012 Federation National Championship. The weights sat at 35lbs 5ounces for both Gilbert Gagner from Highgate Springs, Vt., and Jeff Erickson from Phoenix, Az. The tie-breaker went to the angler who brought in the most fish after three days of tournament fishing. For Gagner, consistency was key. Gagner caught a solid five bass limit every day of the tournament to give him the win.

Erickson didn’t walk away empty-handed though, as the highest finished Ranger Cup qualified boater, he’s now the proud owner of a new Ranger Z518 Boat, trolling motor, batteries, Lowrance electronics and trailer. On the co-angler side, Tyler Webb from Arnett, W.V., came from third to snag the title and be named 2012 National Champion today. Gagner and Webb both earned berths in the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup, and they, as well as, all 14 anglers competing today earned slots at the 2012 BFL All-American. Gagner also receives the dream of a lifetime, the prize that makes it all worth it, the $100,000 “Living the Dream” prize package. The package includes cash and prizes, fully paid entry fees as an FLW Tour Pro for the year, travel funds and use of a wrapped Ranger Boat and Chevrolet truck. Read More

FLW/TBF HIGH SCHOOL FISHING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HEADED TO LAKE MURRAY THIS WEEKEND

$10,000 in Scholarships on the Line

COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 9, 2012) – FLW, in conjunction with The Bass Federation (TBF), has announced High School Fishing is headed to Lake Murray on April 15 for the High School Fishing National Championship. Five winning teams from each of the five High School Fishing Conference Championships will be competing in the National Championship for a $10,000 scholarship ($5,000 to each team member).

Anglers will take off from Park Site No. #8 (North) located at 2101 North Lake Drive in Columbia, S.C., at 7:15 a.m. Sunday. Weigh-in will be held at Carolina Stadium beginning at 4:30 p.m., pending the end of the USC baseball game. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.Read More

HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
TEAM PROFILES

NORTHERN REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

Anglers: Tanner Blanks & Junior Roberts

State: Virginia State Champions

High School: George Washington High - South Boston, VA

How They Got Here: Crowned State Champions on May 22, 2011 on Buggs Island Lake; advanced to the Northern Regional held on Sayers Lake in PA on Sept. 3, 2011. Beat out state champion teams from Rhode Island, West Virginia, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania.

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

Anglers: Dalton Anderson & Dawson Lenz

State: Georgia

High School: McIntosh High School

How They Got Here: Crowned Georgia State Champions on June 19, 2011 on Lake Lanier; advanced to the Southeast Regional held on Lake Harding, AL on Sept. 10, 2011. Beat state champions from Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky and Mississippi

CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

Anglers: Kyler Chelminiak & Nicholas Peterson

State: Wisconsin

High School: Whitnall High School Falcons

How They Got Here: Crowned State Champions on Aug. 27, 2011 on Mississippi River; advanced to the Central Regional held on Oct. 8, 2011 in Illinois on Kinkaid Lake. Beat out state champions from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota.

TEXAS REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

Anglers: Drew Bailey & Adam Diehl

State: Nebraska

High School: Lincoln High School

How They Got Here: Crowned Nebraska State Champions on Sept. 3, 2011 on Maranatha Lake; advanced to Texas Regional on Oct. 8, 2011 held on Lake Somerville in Texas. Beat out state champions from Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma.

WESTERN REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

Anglers: Jacob Wall & Colby Pearson

State: Oregon

High School: Crater High School

How They Got Here: Crowned Oregon State Champions on April 30, 2011 on the Columbia River; advanced to Western Regional held on Nov. 19, 2011 on Suguaro Lake in Ariz. Beat out State champions from Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, California.

Kentucky High School Fishing State Championship Set For May 5

MURRAY, KY (April 9, 2012) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW, the Bluegrass State Games and Murray State University has announced that the 2012 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Kentucky High School Fishing State Championship will be held Saturday, May 5 on Kentucky Lake at Kenlake Marina in Hardin, KY. Read More

Arkansas High School Fishing State Championship Set For May 12

PONCA CITY, Okla. (Mar. 20, 2012) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, and the North Little Rock Visitors Bureau announced it will host the 2012 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Arkansas High School Fishing State Championship. The event will be Saturday, May 12 on the Arkansas River launching out of the Alltel Ramp (Pool 6) in North Little Rock, Ark. Read More

Burghoff Continues to Parlay 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Victory

San Antonio, Texas (April 5, 2012) - When the University of Central Florida’s fishing team of Miles "Sonar" Burghoff and Casey O’Donnell won the 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship on Lake Lewisville, they had reached the pinnacle of college bass fishing. They won the nation’s most prestigious college fishing event and topped the largest field of collegiate anglers ever assembled. For many, this would be defined as that special “ One Shining Moment” in a lifetime of bass fishing competition. Thanks to the partnership between the Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) and The Bass Federation (TBF), it turned out to only be the start of a special journey for both of them.

They took the time to join the TBF prior to the Championship, which made them eligible for the TBF contingency program tied to the event. A simple $35 investment into TBF membership by each angler allowed them to walk off the collegiate stage and into the arena of national competition. Their TBF bonus was automatic qualification for the TBF National Championship. As team captain, Miles advanced as a boater. His partner, Casey O’Donnell, advanced as a non-boater to the same TBF National Championship, which took place last week on Bull Shoals. Read More