BASS announced Thursday that the 2010 Junior Bassmaster World Championship will be held on Cross Lake out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La., on Oct. 29. The event will pair with the Federation Nation Championship (Oct. 27-29), which will be held on the nearby Red River, and will determine the top youth anglers in the world.
As usual, the JWC will feature two age divisions: 11-14 and 15-18. Youth competitors in each division will square off for a top prize of $5,000 in scholarship money – plus state-based sponsorship contingency prizes.
The field will consist of 12 competitors – six in each age division – who qualified from one of the six BASS Federation Nation Divisionals. Participants include 2009 JWC champion John Duarte Jr., who will look to defend his JWC title scored on the Harris Chain in October 2009.
Shreveport-Bossier City will serve as the host city for the event. The region continues to be a strong supporter of BASS competitions and established the 2009 Bassmaster Classic attendance record with more than 130,000 spectators attending the three-day event.
JWC competitors are beginning to make their mark in the top ranks of professional bass fishing. 2004 champ Bradley Roy, who became the youngest Elite angler ever to compete in 2010, landed the 2010 Rookie of the Year award while former JWC qualifier Kyle Fox is sharpening his skills on the Open level and is looking to qualify for the Elites.
“The skill level and knowledge of these youth anglers is tremendous,” said Stacy Twiggs, senior manager, Federation Nation and youth. “We are beginning to see the JWC evolve into a feeder system into BASS’ top-level of events.”
This will be the first BASS competition on Cross Lake, an 8,575-acre fishery that provides the water supply for the City of Shreveport. Thursday, Oct. 28 will serve as the official practice day for JWC competitors. To qualify for the annual JWC, youth anglers must work their way up a ladder of local, regional, state and divisional qualifying tournaments.
The six divisional events of 2010 began with the March 29-April 2 Southern Divisional out of West Point Lake and Lagrange, Ga., and will end Sept. 24 after the conclusion of the Eastern Divisional on Candlewood Lake out of Danbury, Conn. The full field of qualifiers will be determined then.
The host for the event will be the Shreveport Regional Sports Authority.
BASS Federation Nation presenting sponsors: Yamaha and Skeeter Boats.
Official sponsors: Toyota Trucks and Berkley
Supporting sponsors: Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota and Triton Boats.
About BASS:
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
The Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster, BASSInsider, and ESPN3 websites, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.By: BASS Communications / BASS
