Messer wins National Guard TBF Junior World Championship

$42,000 in scholarships and Berkley product grants awarded

PITTSBURGH – Zack Messer of Aiken, S.C., won the 15 to 18 age bracket and Daryk Eckert of Stockport, Ohio, won the 11 to 14 age bracket in the National Guard Junior World Championship on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh. Held in conjunction with the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and Castrol, the National Guard Junior World Championship awarded $42,000 in scholarships and Berkley youth-program product grants.

Messer, from The Bass Federation’s Western division, won the 15 to 18 age group with five bass weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces.

” border=”1″ align=”right” />Messer started tournament fishing three years ago when a friend brought him to a tournament in Idaho, he placed second in his first tournament and was hooked. “Fishing with pro Chip Harrison on day one and Team National Guard pro Tim Klinger today was an honor and a thrill,” said Messer.

The other anglers in the 15 to 18 age group who continued competition Sunday are Patrick Infurna of Fairhaven, Vt. (one fish, 1-4); Tyler Kleeb of Lincoln, Neb. (one fish, 0-12); Matt Hartman of Fredericksburg, Pa. (zero fish, 0-0); Cody Harris of Grant Blanc, Mich. (zero fish, 0-0) and Dayton Jones of Hopkinsville, Ky. (zero fish, 0-0).

Eckert represents the TBF’s Northern division and won in the 11 to 14 age bracket with three bass weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces.

Eckert was pretty nervous going into today’s tournament but after hearing that only three other youth anglers in his age bracket bagged fish, Eckert going into the weigh-in said he felt pretty good about his three-bass catch. He and Messer fished from the same boat; before take-off they discussed what baits to use and areas that should be fished. “Working together paid off for us,” said Eckert. Both youth have river fishing experience but were not used to the faster waters that flow through the Allegheny in Pittsburgh.

The other anglers in the 11 to 14 age group who continued competition Sunday are Andrew Roberts of Plattsburgh, N.Y. (one fish, 1-7); Shane Edgar of Glendale, Ariz. (one fish, 1-2); Matt Hasenfratz of Ponca City, Okla. (one fish, 0-12); Kendall Seitz of Hickory, N.C. (one fish, 0-0); and Ian Alston of Windsor Mill, Md. (three fish, 0-0).

The junior anglers were paired with an FLW Outdoors Pro for competition on the Allegheny River. There were three anglers to a boat: a junior angler from each age group plus an FLW Tour pro who assists the junior anglers but did not fish. The two junior anglers shared control of the boat for the day but competed in their respective age groups. Weights were zeroed Saturday as the top six anglers in the 11 to 14 age bracket and the top six anglers in the 15 to 18 age bracket continued competition, with the winners determined by the heaviest catch from that day.

Designed to highlight the best up-and-coming bass fishing talent in the country, the National Guard Junior World Championship also provides national recognition for the positive activities pursued by America’s youth.

First-place finishers in each age bracket received a $5,000 scholarship in addition to a $200 Walmart gift card courtesy of Goodwill. Second-place finishers received $3,000 scholarships plus a $150 Evinrude certificate. Third-place finishers received $2,500 scholarships plus a $100 Cabelas gift card. Fourth-place finishers received $2,000 scholarships. Fifth-place finishers received $1,500 scholarships.. Sixth-place finishers received $1,000 scholarships.

Additionally, FLW Outdoors, on behalf of the Berkley, awarded $1,000 in Berkley product to each of the state TBF chapters represented by the six finalists in each age bracket. This money, totaling $12,000, will benefit each chapter’s youth program.

For more information about TBF Junior Angler programs, contact your state’s TBF chapter. A list of chapters can be found at www.bassfederation.com.