The Bass Federation announced today the 2010 National Guard Junior World Championship will be held on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Ga., August 5-8, in conjunction with the most prestigious event in tournament fishing, the Forrest Wood Cup. The 2010 NGJWC will feature 82 youth anglers from 41 states fishing for over $30,000 in scholarships and prizes. Two junior champions from each state, one in each age bracket, 11-14 and 15-18, will vie for the championship titles. This year’s contest will make history, as the junior anglers will be launching every morning from Laurel Park right behind the biggest names in the industry that are fishing the Forrest Wood Cup.
“The 2010 NGJWC is shaping up to be another exciting event; never before has this happened in any major youth tournament,” National Youth Director, Mark Gintert, said. “For the first time our junior anglers will fish part of the same lake with the greatest anglers in the world, the FLW Tour Pros. It’s going to provide tons of exposure for our TBF junior anglers, especially at launch each morning. I’m sure all of our young stars will have the time of their lives!”
Daily weigh-ins will be held at Laurel Park Amphitheater and will stream out on the internet. Friday night anglers will be treated to one of the most talked about traditions of the NGJWC, the National Guard Pizza Party. A night full of games, entertainment, and sponsor prizes all served up by the National Guard pro team.
Every boat will have one junior angler from each age group plus a boat captain who will assist the junior anglers, but will not fish. The two junior anglers will share control of the boat for the day, competing in their respective age groups. The full field of junior anglers will compete Fri., Aug. 6. Then, only the top angler in each age bracket from each TBF division will move on. Weights will be zeroed Sat. Aug. 7 as the remaining 14 anglers continue competition. In each age bracket, every angler who advances to Saturday’s competition will receive a sponsor package and a scholarship; the scholarship amounts, on top of the sponsor packages, are as follows: 1st-$5,000; 2nd-$2,750; 3rd-$1,350; 4th-$1,350; 5th-$800; 6th-$600; 7th-$500.
The Gainesville community is reflecting the same excitement, welcoming our coming with tremendous support. “The City of Gainesville is extremely proud to host this prestigious junior world championship,” Tracy Whitmire, the Convention and Facilities Sales Manager of Gainesville Tourism and Trade stated. “Hosting so many families from across the country will provide incredible exposure for our city and we expect to see these families for years to come. The junior anglers will have an experience of a life time fishing with the Pro’s of the Forrest Wood Cup and enjoying the beautiful city of Gainesville, where we are known for our world class hospitality.”
Qualifying for the 2010 TBF National Guard Junior World Championship is quite a feat, as most competed for a year to advance through each states qualifying structure. So, these anglers have worked long and hard to reach this level and are the best junior anglers in the world. No doubt, as young anglers from across the country are making plans to travel and compete out of Gainesville, Ga., the excitement certainly heating up.
The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF), is the oldest and largest, organized grassroots fishing 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 about The Bass Federation, visit bassfederation.com, or call 580.765.9031.
For more information about Student Anglers Federation, visit highschoolfishing.org, or call 580.765.9031
