Iowa High School Fishing State Championship Set for June 9 on the Mississippi River
OutdoorHub 05.31.13
The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW and the University of Iowa Bass Fishing Team are excited to host the 2013 Student Angler Federation (SAF) Iowa High School Fishing State Championship on Sunday, June 9. The event will be held on Pool 19 of the Mississippi River launching out of the Port of Burlington launch ramp.
The state 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 is at 5am CST on Sunday, June 9 at the Port Of Burlington launch ramp with rules briefing and tournament to follow. We highly encourage all teams to pre-register online in advance to avoid late registration fees.
“This is the second year the University of Iowa has worked with The Bass Federation to host the Iowa High School Fishing State Championship,” University of Iowa angler, John Mercer, said. “This is a great chance for our team to give something back and we really enjoy the opportunity to help the sport of fishing grow.”
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 benefits, including FLW Magazine e-Edition and insurance coverage for students and their club. The state champions from each state will advance to an FLW/TBF High School Fishing Conference Championship. Conference winners will advance to the FLW/TBF High School Fishing National Championship held in conjunction with the FLW College Fishing National Championship in the spring of 2014. All SAF members nationwide and all state championship participants automatically qualify for the largest event in high school fishing, the 2013 High School Fishing World Finals. At these events students will compete for thousands in college scholarships and prizes. Each team qualifying for a conference and/or national championship will receive a travel allowance to help offset expenses. The National Champions will also receive a $5,000 scholarship each to use at the university of their choice.
If you’re not a current 2013 SAF member, there’s a one-time $25/per angler fee. This includes full TBF & FLW 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. “Angler testing and education is an industry first by TBF,” TBF National Youth Director, Mark Gintert, commented. “The Federation is driven by our desire to promote education through fishing and the testing component is designed to do exactly that. The University of Iowa Bass Fishing Team has done a great job helping us with this event and we hope the high school anglers and the local community supports the team for their efforts.
Our partnership with FLW provides more benefits and opportunities for them to take advantage of too,” Gintert continued. “For only $25 per year 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: Sunday, June 9 at 5am CST at the Port of Burlington launch ramp, 400 N Front St, Burlington, IA 52601, rules briefing to immediately follow right before take-off.
Takeoff & Weigh-in: Sunday, June 9 at the Port of Burlington, 400 N Front St, Burlington, IA 52601. Takeoff will follow check-in and rules briefing at first light; weigh-in will be at the pavilion next to Port of Burlington launch ramp at 1pm. Questions? 580-765-9031
