Junior State Bass Fishing Champions Converge on Gainesville, Georgia
OutdoorHub 08.06.12
Excitement builds as 82 state champions from all over the country make their way to Gainesville, Ga., to face off in the 2012 National Guard Junior World Championship, Aug. 10th-11th on Lake Lanier. The 2012 Forrest Wood Cup is being held on Lanier as well and these young anglers get the opportunity to take off right alongside the FLW Tour Pros each morning. More significantly, the FLW Tour Pros have blocked off and given the young TBF youth angler’s part of the water, which will be off-limits to them. It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity these excited young state champions are about to begin during a potentially life-changing week.
Event activities kick off on Thursday, Aug. 9 with registration and a welcome banquet dinner, presented by Gainesville Tourism & Trade at the Georgia Mountain Center. As contenders are welcomed to town by TBF and FLW outdoors officials, they will make their way through the sponsor reception line and will walk out with more product and goodies than they can carry. Then they will have a chance to mingle with some of the FLW Tour Pros while they get ready for their dinner and rules briefing.
More than 40 local Georgia Federation and BFL anglers have stepped forward to furnish boats for these junior anglers to compete from while they are in town. The contest will see two champions, one in each age group, 11-14 and 15-18 vie for their share in over $12,000 in college scholarship dollars, with thousands more in prizes and Cabela’s gift cards awarded to the contenders throughout the event. Every angler attending is a state champion, this amounts to a year’s worth of drive and dedication to fishing, advancing through tournaments in their respective states and age groups to have gotten them this far. All anglers will compete on day one. The field will be cut to the top 6 in each age group for a total of 12 anglers for the final day of fishing on Saturday.
At 1:30 pm EST on Saturday, a World Champion will be crowned in each age group lakeside at Laurel Park amphitheater. Following the lakeside weigh-in, all participants will be introduced on the Forrest Wood Cup Main Stage at the Gwinnett Center, in Duluth, GA. right before the pros weigh-in, in front of thousands of bass fishing fans! Both World Champions will also be introduced and presented with their ‘Cup’ on stage as well for a great photo opportunity.
One of the most exciting parts of the NGJWC every year is the National Guard Pizza Party on Friday night. Fun will be had by all, there is no doubt. After a day of fishing in the hot southern sun, the junior anglers and their families will be treated to a night of fun, crazy games, music, door prizes and most of all, PIZZA! And lots of it!
Weigh-ins begin Friday and Saturday Aug 10, 11 at 1:30 pm EST at Laurel Park and are free to the public. Both days weigh-ins will also be streamed live on the internet at www.BassFederation.com so friends and family worldwide can log on and watch. Be sure to keep up with 2012 NGJWC updates on the TBF Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/TheBassFederation or twitter @bassfederation.
