Florida High School State Championship
Category: Tournament
Jan 13th, 2015 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jan 13th, 2015 at 12:00 AM
2015 Florida High School State Championship Returns to Lake Toho
PONCA CITY, Okla. (January 09, 2015) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW is pleased to host the 2015 Student Angler Federation (SAF) FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP on Saturday February 28th at Big Toho Marina in Kissimmee Florida.
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 Big Toho Marina on Friday February 27th at 5:00pm to7:00pm with a rules briefing to immediately follow. Take off is at 6:50am and the weigh-in will begin at 2:30pm.
“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: Friday February 27th at 5-7:00pm at Big Toho Marina in the Kissimmee City Park
Takeoff & Weigh-in: Saturday February 28th at 6:50am at Big Toho Marina with the weigh-in scheduled for 2:30pm Questions? 580-765-9031
Tournament Waters: Lake Toho and the adjoining chain of lakes to the Rte. 60 Bridge at the Kissimmee River. Locking is permitted
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. For more information about FLW visit FLWFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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. Visit bassfederation.com or highschoolfishing.org and “LIKE US” on facebook!
Contact us for a local contact and information on joining TBF in your home state so you can get started fishing the adult program and further grow your fish catching skills!
CLICK HERE for a list of state presidents to contact about joining!
Contact: The Bass Federation [email protected]
www.highschoolfishing.org
Want to become a sponsor of High School Fishing?
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HighSchoolFishing.org
5998 N pleasant View Road
Ponca City, Ok. 74604
580.765.9031
[email protected]