National Guard Junior World Championship to visit DeGray Lake - Major League Fishing

National Guard Junior World Championship to visit DeGray Lake

TBF junior state champions travel to Arkansas to compete Aug. 12-13 in conjunction with Forrest Wood Cup
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The 55 boats carrying competitors in the All-American idle in a spillway cove on DeGray Lake. Photo by Patrick Baker.
August 10, 2011 • MLF • Archives

Eighty-two TBF junior elite make their way to Arkadelphia, Ark., this week to face off Aug. 12-13 in the 2011 National Guard Junior World Championship on DeGray Lake. This national contest will determine two champions, one in each age group, 11-14 and 15-18.

For most, this is the culmination of a year’s worth of competition, advancing through tournaments in their respective states and age groups to make it to the world championship. All anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 12, and weigh in at 1:30 p.m. at the spillway ramp on DeGray Lake. The field will be cut to the top 12 anglers, and these 12 will represent the top finishers (one in each age group) from the six different TBF youth divisions across the United States.

Saturday’s final day will be the division champions’ shootout to crown the 2011 National Guard Junior World Champions. Saturday’s weigh-in will also be held at 1:30 p.m. lakeside at DeGray Lake. The National Guard will welcome 82 TBF junior anglers from 41 states to the Aug. 12-13 National Guard Junior World Championship of bass fishing on DeGray Lake in Arkansas.

Immediately following, all anglers will travel to Summit Arena in Hot Springs, Ark., to be introduced at 4:45 p.m. on the FLW Outdoors main stage of the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup.

The 82 championship anglers travel from 41 states and will be taken out on DeGray Lake on Friday by volunteer anglers who are local or from other areas who fish the Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL), TBF federation clubs and other tournaments. These anglers donate their boat for the kids to compete out of for the day and will serve as boat captains, coaches and mentors. The boat captains cannot fish, but they can offer advice to the young competitors if they need it.

Each boat will have one angler from the 11-14 age group and one from the 15-18 age group, assigned randomly by computer draw. Tournament rules stipulate each angler must fish out of the front of the boat half the day and switch midway so it is fair to all competitors. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free to the public. Come out and cheer these young anglers on!

Over $20,000 in scholarships and prizes are up for grabs this week, and there a several prize opportunities and activities for all, including a Friday evening National Guard pizza party for all competitors and their families. Daily stories and pictures will be posted on Bassfederation.com and The Bass Federation’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thebassfederation); live streaming of the weigh-ins on Friday and Saturday will be on Bassfederation.com in partnership with ihigh.com.

The 2011 Forrest Wood Cup will be held all week on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark., Aug. 11-14. The final day of the Forrest Wood Cup will be a full day of activities Sunday with tons of prizes and giveaways, including a new Ranger Boat presented by Arkansas Democrat Gazette, activities at the FLW Outdoors Expo including fishing seminars, on-the-water Ranger boat rides and Chevrolet test drives as well as a free concert by Steve Holy at 4 p.m. presented by Walmart. There’s fun for the family all week, so come out and support our Junior TBF anglers and our partnership with FLW Outdoors.

Local hosts

City of Caddo Valley Advertising and Promotions Commission, Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance and Area Chamber of Commerce, [email protected]; 2401 Pine Street, Suite B, Arkadelphia, AR 71923, Phone: 870-246-1460

Local Guardsmen presented colors on the National Guard Junior World Championship stage in preparation for the 82 junior anglers from the TBF who will compete this week.

About The Bass Federation

The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. TBF is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing organization. TBF affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 fishing, youth and conservation events at the local level each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 40 years. Visit Bassfederation.com.

About FLW Outdoors

FLW Outdoors is the largest tournament-fishing organization in the world, offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing at FantasyFishing.com, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge.