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Jeff Erickson & Karl Beltz Fishing the Potomac This Week

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.

“I didn’t even know I had a chance at this,” Gagner said.  “Starting in sixth place, I didn’t think I had a prayer going into this.” Gagner didn’t get to make a trip from Vermont to pre-fish, so Wednesday’s practice day was his first meeting with Bull Shoals Lake.  “Practice day went terrible for me; I tried to do things I really don’t think the fish wanted.”  But, once day one rolled around Gagner took it slow and steady.  “I decided to slow down and make really key presentations to submerged bushes I couldn’t see.  That’s where the fish seemed to be a little bit bigger and a little bit more aggressive.”  Gagner didn’t catch a ton of fish, but got just what was needed to get the job done.  “I caught six to seven keepers each day, which made just enough to cull out the one or two small ones I had in my bag.”  Today, his co-angler, Chris Lambert, from Olympia, Wash., decided he wanted to go smallmouth fishing.  “I thought he was crazy.  But, we ended up catching some nice smallmouths.  I lost a few nice fish today that could have made a better weight for me, but it ended up being just enough.”

Gagner’s been federation fishing for several years for this opportunity, and today the emotion on his face said it all.  “I’ve been around the block trying to do this for a long time.  There are so many people I want to thank; my co-anglers were so great to work with.  These guys were patient and never pushed me too hard to make bad decisions; they worked with me real well.”  Gagner also thanked the TBF, FLW Outdoors, Lowrance and Ranger Boats.  “They all did a great job.  All the volunteers were awesome at this event, without them it’s just not possible.”   When asked if it has really sank in, that next year he will be fishing alongside the best professional fishermen in the business at the most prestigious bass tournaments in the world.  Gagner just shook his head with tears welling up and said, “No it hasn’t sank in at all; this just doesn’t happen to guys like me.”

On the co-angler side, twenty-four year old, Tyler Webb, was also taken back as he replayed this week and the fact he’s walking away with it all.  As the national champion co-angler there’s no bigger or better accomplishment for a federation angler fishing out of the back of the boat.  “Day one I actually got paired with the Gagner so we both did pretty well,” Webb said.  “I only had four though.  I had the fifth one on later in the day, about a 2 ½ pounder, I thought it was gonna end up costing me.”  Webb caught 7lbs 12ounces on day one and 11lbs 3ounces yesterday making him over 6lbs away from the leader.  “Yesterday I was flippin’ and swimming a sinko around the bushes.  But, today I knew I was going to have to catch a pretty good bag with Taylor being 6lbs ahead.”  Webb got paired with Brian Maloney from Osage Beach, Mo., who ran way up the river today to find their keepers.  “I started off real good this morning with one about 4 ½ pounds right off the bank.  I caught a few more after that but wasn’t able to get my fifth one.  I was kinda worried, but it ended up working out.”

Webb wanted to thank all his family for their support and his federation in West Virginia. “Our West Virginia President, John Burdette, really does a great job and helps us out a lot, he really supports us.”  Webb will be representing West Virginia and The Bass Federation as this year’s national champion co-angler, an idea that just hasn’t hit him yet.  “There’s lots going through my mind right now; it really hasn’t set in yet.  To be honest, did I ever think I was going to be here, at the end of the day, probably not?  But just the chance to fish the Forrest Wood Cup is an honor.  It’s the biggest event around and to do that I’m really looking forward to it.  Hopefully, I’ll learn a lot getting to go to a great lake with some great anglers.”

FINAL STANDINGS

BOATERS

CO-ANGLERS

Continue reading »]]> Date:    May  19,  2012

On  May  19,  2012 The Bass Federation -Arizona will be holding the Arizona State Junior Angler Championship on  Lake Pleasant at The Hook-Up.

At this special event junior anglers from all over the state will compete in three age groups for the Arizona State Championship. Our first age group is our “10 and under” age group. Their parent takes them out to compete for the state championship. Our next two age groups 11 to 14 and 15 to 18, compete for the state championship and the ultimate prize of qualifying for the National Guard Junior World Championship! Contestants that are 18 years old,  must be 18 until August 31.

Sign-in will be from 4:00 AM – 4:45 AM. All contestants must be signed- in by 4:45 AM.

The event will begin at safe-light (about 5:30am). We will launch at the South ramp with the weigh-in starting at 11:00 AM at the lake side of The Hook-Up building.

Come out and watch the stars of tomorrow compete for state bragging rights and a chance to advance to the National Guard Junior World Championship where they will compete for over $30,000 in scholarships and Youth Program Grants.

See the angling world “Stars of Tomorrow” in action!!!

Everyone is welcome to attend this event to watch the weigh-in and the awards presentation, or you yourself can participate.  Make this an event to remember by volunteering your time as a boater.  We always welcome volunteers and volunteer boaters!

You can help!

For more information on this event please contact Wayne Kukral @ 602-565-7747

For more information on the ArizonaBass Federation go to http://www.azbassfederation.com

Arizona Bass Federation is a State Chapter of The Bass Federation (TBF). The Bass Federation Inc. (TBF) is owned by those it serves and is dedicated to the sport of fishing. 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 the foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 35 years. In 2006 TBF partnered with the largest tournament operations and marketing organization in the world, FLW Outdoors. For more information about The Bass Federation, visit bassfederation.com or call 580-765-9031

Continue reading »]]> Ponca City, Okla. (March 20, 2012) – 94 of The Bass Federation’s  best are packing their bags and heading to Flippin and Bull Shoals, Ark., next week for the 2012 TBF Federation National Championship, presented by The National Guard on Bull Shoals Lake.  This will mark the first time in the federation’s 44 year history a championship event has been held in the backyard of the legendary founders of Ranger Boats, Forrest and Nina Wood, who got their start guiding on the white river and helped birth a multi-billion dollar bass fishing industry.

Anglers from seven TBF divisions competed locally in a no-entry fee 2011 TBF Division Championship to qualify for the event.   From the division championships two anglers, the first place angler as the boater and the second place angler as the co-angler, from each TBF affiliated state federation in the U.S. and Canada advance to compete in the no-entry fee 2012 Federation National Championship. The field also contains the reigning Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) National Champions.  All 94 championship anglers will face-off on Bull Shoals Lake out of Bull Shoals Lake boat dock, just down the road from the Ranger Boats plant, in the premier national contest of federation anglers.

The event is held in conjunction with an FLW Tour Major being held on Table Rock Lake out of Branson, Mo.  The final day federation anglers will weigh-in alongside the FLW Tour Pros on the same stage in Branson, Mo.  There are three official competition days, March 29-31. The entire field will compete Thursday and Friday with weigh-ins at Bull Shoals Lake boat dock in Bull Shoals, Ark. The final day the field will be cut to the top boater and co-angler from each of the seven TBF divisions.  All 14 of those division champion anglers earn a berth in the 2012 BFL All-American. The final day is all about being crowned national champions with the best three-day accumulative weight live on the FLW Tour main stage in Branson, Mo.  Both the national champion boater and co-angler will advance to the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup World Championship.  The TBF National Champion boater earns the $100,000 TBF “Living the Dream” prize package, a unique and unequaled prize in the sport of fishing awarded each year to the champion boater.  The package includes a cash prize, sponsor merchandise, guaranteed spots in the 2012 BFL All-American and the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup, fully paid entry fees as a tour pro in all the 2013 FLW Tour majors, travel expense stipends for each event, and use of a TBF “Living the Dream” wrapped Chevy truck and Ranger boat powered by Evinrude outboard for the full 2013 season.

All weigh-ins will be live streamed daily.  First two days will be on bassfederation.com and the last day through FLW Live on flwoutdoors.com.  All events and weigh-ins are free to the public.

“Everything is ready for their arrival.  Ranger Boats has 47 brand new boats ready for the anglers to fish from as they do every year, the lake is in great shape, and if the fishing holds up we might just see all time federation weight records for the championship event,” TBF President, Robert Cartlidge, said.  “From there it’s up to the anglers to see who can claim the titles, prizes and all the glory.  Everyone here earned their spot; they are the very best of literally tens of thousands of TBF members.  No matter where they finish at this year’s championship, pride in that fact is something that can never be taken away from them.

The Federation has never been simply about fishing for money, although the anglers will vie for their share of over 200,000 in cash and prizes,” Cartlidge continued.  “The cash to be awarded is a nice bonus, however, the real prize is the TBF $100,000 “Living the Dream” prize package, two slots in the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup World Championship, and 14 spots in the 2012 BFL All-American. Not everyone wants to fish for a living…but every bass anglers in the world wants to try it one time and see how they stack up against the best professional anglers in the world on the FLW Tour.  THAT is what the TBF Living the Dream package is all about. Next week, in Bull Shoals, Ark., one angler will claim it all.”

On a national average a TBF member spends less than $200 a year in total TBF dues and entry fees.  The cost lets them advanced through their local state events to the Federation National Championship with the chance to advance there to the biggest events in the industry; in today’s economy, it’s a great deal for the money.  TBF and its sponsor partners provide all 94 champion anglers entry fees to the official tournament, hotel rooms and cabins for the event, banquets, and amenities.  Additionally, they’re provided use of a state of the art fully-rigged Ranger Boat.

The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is the oldest and largest, organized grassroots angling organization in America. TBF is owned by those it serves and is dedicated to the sport of fishing. 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 the foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 40 years.  For more information, visit bassfederation.com, or call 580.765.9031.

Continue reading »]]> 3/18/12- This the a clip of The Bass Federation Third Qualifier at Lake Havasu. I was lucky enough to land a key fish at the end of the day for the win with a little over 15lbs. She bit on a Skinny Bear Shad Eye Jerk Bait rigged on a drop shot setup.

Congrats to Marty Halsey for the win! He caught a very nice 8lber for a total weight of just under 19lbs.

If you are thinking about fishing and won’t know where to start, look the The Bass Federation in your area. It’s a great place for boaters and co anglers to learn and compete.

VIEW THE FULL RESULTS HERE

Continue reading »]]> PONCA CITY, Okla. (Mar. 6, 2012) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, and the Arizona Bass Federation announced it will host the 2012 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Arizona High School Fishing State Championship. The event will be Saturday, April 7 on Lake Pleasant launching out of the South Ramp near Hook Up Outfitters in Peoria, Ariz.

The championship is a two person team event for students in grades 9-12. Registration for anglers and their “coach,” who will provide the boat they compete in, is online at HighSchoolFishing.org. Check-in begins at 6pm MST on Friday, April 6, at the Hampton Inn in Anthem, Ariz., with a mandatory rules briefing at 7pm MST. We highly encourage all teams to preregister online or by phone in advance to avoid late registration fees.

“Both the Arizona Bass Federation and the Arizona Game & Fish Department are thrilled to be hosting the 2012 SAF Arizona High School Fishing State Championship,” Tournament Director, Keith Espe, stated. “We’re eager to bring these young anglers and their families to an awesome fishery in Lake Pleasant in what promises to be another great SAF event!”

Students and parents can go to HighSchoolFishing.org for details on the Student Angler Federation (SAF) and to sign up. Cost is only $25/ year and includes full TBF and FLW Outdoors benefits, including access to the all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition and insurance coverage for students and their club. The winning two-person team from each state championship will advance to an FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing Conference Championship held in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Conference Championship. Those winners will advance to the FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing National Championship held in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship in the spring of 2013. All SAF members and state championship participants qualify for the largest event in high school fishing, the 2012 High School Fishing World Finals to compete for thousands of dollars in college scholarships and prizes. Each team that qualifies for a conference and/or national championship will receive a travel allowance to help offset expenses. The National Champions will also each receive a $5,000 scholarship to use at the university of their choice.

If you’re not an SAF member, there’s a $25/per angler fee, which includes full TBF/FLW Outdoors membership benefits for the year, as well as, free entry to ALL SAF sanctioned events!

Another unique feature of an SAF sanctioned event is the “angler testing” component. Anglers can take a free online test at HighSchoolFishing.org about boater safety, conservation and angler ethics, which makes them eligible for contingency awards at their state championship. “It’s an industry first by TBF and a tremendous way to emphasize the importance of education to these student anglers,” SAF Program Manager, Alex Craw, commented. “The Federation is driven by our desire to promote education through fishing and the testing component is designed to do exactly that. We also offer all TBF/SAF members 11 free online training courses in our member’s only online store with Faculty of Fishing’s angler advantage program. Put this package together with all the programs our affiliated state federations like the Arizona Bass Federation have to offer, and our partnership with FLW Outdoors, and the sky is the limit,” Craw continued.  “These young anglers and their families have opportunities unlike anything the industry has ever seen.”

Event Details:

State Championship sign-up: PRE-REGISTER ONLINE at HighSchoolFishing.org.  Boat numbers are determined by date registered.  A $25 late registration fee applies to those registering at check-in. The best way is to pre-register online at highschoolfishing.org.

Mandatory Check-in: Friday, April 6, 6-7pm MST, at the Hampton Inn, 42415 N. 41st Dr., Anthem, AZ, 85086; Mandatory rules briefing to follow at 7pm. All participants will receive some free fishing tackle compliments of Cabela’s and the Arizona Bass Federation.

Takeoff & Weigh-in: Saturday, April 7, at the South Ramp near Hook Up Outfitters on Lake Pleasant, 8708 W Harbor Blvd., Peoria, AZ, 85383. Takeoff is at 6am and weigh-in times will be announced at the Mandatory rules briefing. Questions? alex@highschoolfishing.org or 580-765-9031

Host Hotel: Hampton Inn of Phoenix/Anthem, 42415 N. 41st Dr., Anthem, AZ, 85086; King and double queen rooms will be discounted at $79 plus tax, April 5-8. Call 623.465.7979 and ask for the SAF High School Fishing Tournament group rate. The Hampton Inn is located about twenty minutes from the South Ramp and rooms must be reserved by March 16 to lock in the discounted room rate!

About FLW Outdoors

FLW Outdoors is the largest fishing tournament 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 presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free, as well as, sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com.

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.

Continue reading »]]> The 2012 Fantasy Fishing season will consist of six tournaments surrounding the Walmart FLW Tour majors with a grand prize of $100,000 for the player with the most cumulative points. To ensure Fantasy Fishing participants enjoy the most competitive gameplay in fantasy sports, a membership is required to play, however current ACTIVE TBF/FLW members can sign up for the 2012 Fantasy Fishing season for no additional charge. In addition to gaining access to the world’s most lucrative fantasy sports game, membership benefits include:

• Unlimited access to the Digital Edition of FLW Bass Fishing or FLW Walleye Fishing magazine – includes back issues
• Opportunity to win prizes each month in the FLW Member Giveaway – Enter online today!
• Eligibility to play Fantasy Fishing – includes Fantasy Tools
• 10% off FLW Merchandise at flwoutdoors.com
• VIP access at Walmart FLW Tour Events, Forrest Wood Cup and Walleye Championships.
• FLW Partner Discounts
• FLW e-newsletter

Sign Up Now >>

To sign up to play, view official rules and a list of prizes, visit FantasyFishing.com.

Continue reading »]]> Registration Opens March 1

Ponca City, Okla. – Feb. 17, 2012  High School anglers near and far will unite in Russellville, Arkansas and Lake Dardanelle State Park, July 15-21, 2012 for the pinnacle event of high school bass fishing, the 2012 High School Fishing World Finals. Registration opens online at highschoolfishing.org on March 1.

Last year, over 600 attendees made up of high school anglers, family members and sponsors enjoyed the opening ceremonies to kick off a week-long family vacation with tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship prizes on the line.

“Russellville is extremely excited to host this tournament for the third year, and looking forward to another group of young people that love to fish,” Russellville Tourism Director, Christie Graham, stated.  “Russellville hosts many tournaments each year, but enjoys getting to invest in young people’s lives that have a passion for the outdoor world of fishing. We are excited to see what growth this year will bring.”

High school teams are made up of any two high school anglers who have graduated the 8^th grade but have not yet started college and who have a 2.0 GPA.  All anglers must be Student Angler Federation members or join at the time of registration for only $25 a year. SAF membership comes with a full list of benefits, including no entry fees to any SAF event all year.  Any high school team meeting these requirements may register and attend, even if they are home schooled. Teams bring their own boats and their own coaches/boat captains.  Teams are required to have an adult coach/boat captain in their boat with them at all times. The coach who provides the boat must be a resident of the team’s home state/province or country, an immediate family member, or in very limited situations, a volunteer boat captain/coach may be provided by TBF*. (when/where available and only with advance arrangement) Anglers are not allowed to “hire” or “choose” a local coach and the tournament waters are off-limits, when designated, to all anglers and coaches so everyone starts fishing at the same time no matter where they live.

Events are scheduled all week starting with the first official practice day Sunday, July 15.  Tuesday evening is the coaches/boat captain’s appreciation jackpot on a neighboring body of water for the coaches to get their fishing “fix” as well!  Wednesday, July 18 is the official registration and opening ceremonies. Thursday, July 19 will bring the first official tournament day, with weigh-ins at Lake Dardanelle State Park, as teams from across North America will start their journey to become champions.  All weigh-ins will be taped for television and be streamed live on the internet.  All high school anglers will compete for the first two days.  Then, the field will be cut on Saturday. The final day of competition not only will see the top teams go head to head with complete run of the lake, but also the rest of the field will be invited to fish a one of a kind consolation round event. There is no entry fee and the complete payout structure is in the form of prizes and scholarships! The 2012 High School Fishing World Championship team will each walk away with the grand prize of a four year, $5,000 per year, renewable scholarship to Bethel University in McKenzie Tenn., in addition to other prizes and some serious hardware!

“The High School Fishing World Finals is the largest tournament of its kind; it’s a low cost, family fun vacation with a full week of activities,” TBF National Youth Director, Mark Gintert, said.  “We’re excited to return to Russellville and Lake Dardanelle State Park, which provide a perfect setting for this event.  It’s centrally located right off I-40, a great fishery, and the cooperation we receive from our local partners is tremendous,” Gintert added.

“This event is more than just a tournament, it’s a great way to promote education through fishing,” TBF President, Robert Cartlidge, stated. “Our Student Anglers are required to have a 2.0 GPA and take a free test on angler ethics, boater safety and invasive species to participate.  This highlights the importance of education and being good stewards of our waterways, habits TBF want to instill in the future of our sport,” Cartlidge continued. “Our Student Angler Federation is growing in record numbers with teams forming all across the country, and this event offers everyone a chance to fish in a world class event in a fun, family atmosphere.”

The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is the oldest and largest grassroots fishing organization in America. TBF is owned by those it serves and is dedicated to the sport of fishing. TBF annually conducts over 20,000 fishing, youth, and conservation events and has provided the foundation for the bass fishing industry for over 40 years.

For more information about The Bass Federation, visit bassfederation.com or call 580-765-9031.

For full details and more information about the Student Angler Federation and this year’s High School World Finals, visit highschoolfishing.org or call 580-765-9031.

Continue reading »]]> Arizona Bass Federation would like to welcome on board a new Junior Youth Club in the Mohave County Area!

The club contact and adult supervisor is  Frank Mueller. ”Our goal is to attract kids from Mohave County area, who are interested in competitive bass fishing.  We are targeting youths in the Kingman, Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City, Laughlin-NV and Needles-CA areas,” stated Mueller.

If you have a youth angler in their area, ages 8-18, please contact Frank at 928-715-6676 or YouthMoh@AZBassFederation.com.

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The Bureau of Reclamation, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department, Central Arizona Water Conservation District (Central Arizona Project) and Arizona Bass Federation are please to cooperate in presenting Arizona’s 13th Annual “CATCH A SPECIAL THRILL FOR KIDS” FISHING DAY.

Hosted by Reclamation under a contract with the CAST for Kids Foundation, the event will be held on April 7, 2012 at Lake Pleasant Regional Park.

VIEW THE FLYER