For those of
you who would like to try tournament fishing or who are new to tournament
fishing, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to The Bass
Federation and possibly answer some frequently asked questions. The Bass
Federation is not a newly created organization or circuit. Since 1968
independent Bass Federations have worked together to support the grass roots
growth of fishing. The Bass Federation (TBF) is proudly partnered in fishing
with FLW Outdoors. The FLW Outdoors organization has a stellar tournament
pedigree and has consistently supported competitive bass fishing in the west since
the Operation Bass-RedMan Tournaments of the early 1980’s. Forty seven states
are represented by TBF Divisions:
Northwestern
Division (consisting of ID, MT, OR, WA,
WY)
Southwestern
Division (consisting of CA, AZ, CO, NV,
UT)
North Eastern
Division (consisting of IL, IN, MI, MN,
OH, SD, WI)
Central
Division (consisting of AR, KS, LA, MS,
MO, NE, OK, TX)
Eastern
Division (consisting of CT, ME, MA, NH,
NY, RI, VT, ON)
Mid-Atlantic
Division (consisting of DE, MD, DC, NJ,
PA, VA, WV)
Southern
Division (consisting of AL, FL, GA, KY,
NC, SC, TN)
Q1 “Is it necessary to drive long distances to
compete”? Not necessarily, it depends on where you live. For example:
California has several regions from Northern California to Southern California
and each region hosts four tournaments
each season. Region #1 (Delta) has four tournaments on the California Delta.
Region #2 (Big Valley) holds tournaments on Pine Flat, Lake McClure, Don Pedro
& Bass Lake. Region #3 (No Cal) holds tournaments on Lake Shasta, Lake
Oroville, Clear Lake & Lake Berryessa. Region #4 (Motherlode) holds
tournaments on New Melones, Lake Camanche (2x) & Lake Pardee. Region #6 (So
Cal) holds tournaments on El Capitan, Lower Otay, Lake Skinner & Lake
Hodges. Region #7 (Central CA) holds tournaments on Castaic (3x) & Pyramid.
So you see, you can drive to lakes you wish to compete on outside of your area
or you can fish closer to home. TBF covers almost every area of California that
has a body of water large enough to host a tournament!
Q2: “Do I need to use vacation days to compete
during the week? No. California Bass Federation holds an official practice
day on Saturday and each regular season tournament is held on Sunday so you are
back to work on Monday!
Q3: “Doesn’t bass fishing require me to own an
expensive bass boat”? Not the case. California Bass Federation tournaments
are defined as “draw tournaments”. That means for every boat owner (boater) competing, we must have a
non-boat owner (no-boater) competing.
At the beginning of each tournament boaters and non-boaters are paired together
via a random drawing. The boater is entitled to fish 1/2 of the day anywhere
they would like and to navigate the trolling motor. Conversely the non-boater
also entitled to fish 1/2 of the day anywhere they would like and to navigate
the trolling motor. Through the flip of a coin or a mutual decision the two
decide which half of the day they desire. The practice of pairing boaters and
non-boaters greatly discourages and diminishes the possibility of dishonesty
during one of our events.
Q4: “Is the cost of competing in California Bass
Federation tournaments very high”? The cost of competing in a California
Bass Federation tournament is comparatively low. The entry fee is only $70.00
per event. If you wish to increase your potential for higher earnings you can
participate in the optional big fish prize or enter the top five or top three options. In these cases you simply add an additional
$10.00 for each option. When your compare Federation entry fees to other
circuits – it’s comparatively low.
Q5: “What is the experience level of the anglers
in the California Bass Federation”? The experience level ranges from
anglers who are new to the sport; to competitive weekend tournament anglers; up
to anglers who consistently compete at the highest level of tournament fishing
in California and who aspire to make tournament bass fishing a career. Some of
our anglers have won FLW Rayovac Series tournaments! Translation, the
opportunity to learn on the water from experienced anglers is unlimited.
Q6: “I’ve seen tournament fishing on television.
Do all bass circuits in California provide a direct road leading to national
circuits? No. As a matter of fact – most do not. See the chart below:
Q7: “When does the Federation tournament season
begin”? The first tournament of the season will be held by the Northern
California Region #3 on November 16th. The tournament will be held
on Lake Shasta. If you wish to participate in this event contact Mac McCullough
at: macmccullough@att.net. The entry
deadline for this tournament is November 10th 2014.
Q8: “What do I need to do to get started in the
California TBF”? You should visit
our web site at: www.californiabass.org for regional
information, tournament dates & times, entry forms, rules and contact
information. For information today, you can also contact Mac McCullough at: macmccullough@att.net
So,
The California Bass Federation is accessible, affordable, educational, very competitive
and provides a road to national visibility. What are you waiting for?
Mac is the
Region #3 Tournament Director for CBF
Visit
our web site: www.californiabass.org
Or
contact Mac at macmccullough@att.net
Advertising