The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW is pleased to host the 2015 Student Angler Federation (SAF) NEW YORK and VERMONT HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP on Sunday, July 12th 2015 at the St. Johnsville, Marina located at 12 Marina Drive in St. Johnsville, NY.
The state championship is a two person team event for students in grades 9-12. NEW for 2015 is the option for one member of each team to be a 7th or 8th grader if the team chooses. All teams should pre-register online for any high school event at HighSchoolFishing.org to avoid onsite late fees. Both anglers and their "coach," who provides the boat they compete from will need to check in at the St. Johnsville Marina on Sunday morning at 5:30am. Registration will be followed by a quick rules meeting. Take-off is scheduled for 6:30am and the weigh-in is slated for 2:00pm.
"Our State Championship Series has grown the SAF into the largest high school fishing organization in the country," stated TBF National Youth Director, Mark Gintert. "TBF and our partners in fishing at FLW are the only organization in North America to offer a state championship in every state and Canada. We are once again raising the bar in 2015 by expanding the program to include more anglers and offering one of the two seats in the boat to a 7th or 8th grade angler if the team so chooses."
The top 10% of each 2015 State Championship will advance to a FLW/TBF Conference Regional Championship and the top 10% from those conference events will advance to the FLW/TBF High School National Championship. In April, at this year’s 2 day High School National Championship event which boasts a $10,000 scholarship to the winners, all teams will be fishing out of brand new matching Ranger Boats provided for them, along with paid hotel accommodations and other perks. The final day weigh-in will take place on the FLW main stage in front of a live FLW Tour stop audience in Rogers, Arkansas!"
Students and parents can go to HighSchoolFishing.org for details on the Student Angler Federation and to sign up. Annual cost is a meager $25 year and there is no entry fees to any SAF event conducted in our national program. SAF membership includes full TBF and FLW benefits, FLW Magazine e-Edition and full insurance coverage for clubs, officers and student members. SAF also holds a number of OPEN events across the nation where the top 3 teams from any SAF sanctioned National Open event advances to a designated Conference Regional Championship as well. All SAF members nationwide automatically qualify just for being a member to come and compete in the 2015 High School Fishing World Finals for thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes each year. The World Finals allows anglers to test their skills against High School anglers from across North America at the week-long family vacation event which will be held at a new venue this year in Florence
Alabama on Pickwick Reservoir, July 7-11. As with all SAF national events, there is no entry fee to this come one, come all mega event that gives every high school team in the world a shot at the sports top prizes.
If you’re not a 2015 SAF member, there’s a one-time $25 per year membership fee which you can pay in advance or it will be charged on your first event registration. This includes full TBF & FLW membership for the year and free entries; just enter your active SAF membership number during online SAF event registration!
SAF is the only student program that features an educational piece with an "angler testing" component. It’s not "just about fishing" but also about education. TBF’s on-line education program is free to all SAF members through our Faculty of Fishing program. SAF members simply go to highschoolfishing.org, click "Online Education" then enter their SAF number and zip code to access the online training site. There is a host of training chapters covering a wide variety of topics.
"Angler testing and education is an industry first by TBF that we have had in place since the very beginning," Gintert said. "We are "Promoting Education through Fishing." "There is also an array of contingency programs in place that focus on that educational theme and reward anglers who participate in them. For only $25 per year the Student Angler Federation gives High School Students more opportunities, scholarships, events, educational material and more fishing than any other sporting event or organization." added Gintert.
Event Details:Sign-up: Pre-register online at HighSchoolFishing.org or a $25 late registration fee can apply to those registering onsite. The best way is to pre-register online at highschoolfishing.org.
Mandatory Check-in: Sunday, July 12th 2015 at the St. Johnsville, Marina located at 12 Marina Drive in St. Johnsville, NY. Check-in time is 5:30am to 6:00am with a rules meeting to immdeitaely follow.
Takeoff & Weigh-in: Sunday, July 12th 2015 at the St. Johnsville, Marina located at 12 Marina Drive in St. Johnsville, NY. Take-off is scheduled for 6:30am with the weigh-in at 2:00pm
Tournament Waters: Mohawk River
About FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2015 over the course of 240 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
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 45 years. TBF founded the Student Angler Federation and the National High School Fishing program in 2008 to promote clean family fun and education through fishing.
