California Bass Federation Junior Championship Sunday!!!

[Ken C.]

The California Chapter of The Bass Federation will be hosting the California Junior State Championship Tournament this Sunday June 10 on Pine Flat Reservoir. Junior anglers from both ends of the state will be competing in two age groups (11 - 14 and 15 - 18 years old) to become the reigning Junior State Champions!

The winner in each age group then qualifies to fish in the FLW/National Guard Junior World Championship tournament being held on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark. August 4 - 5 in conjunction with the $2 Million FLW Forrest Wood Cup - the nations most lucrative bass fishing championship!

The National Guard Junior World Championship will feature youth anglers from as many as 46 TBF states fishing for $30,000 in scholarships plus youth-program grants for their states. Each participating state will be represented by two junior anglers: one in the 11 to 14 age bracket and another in the 15 to 18 age bracket.

Volunteer boaters will be teamed up by a blind draw with one angler from each age group for the tournament on Sunday. The junior anglers are responsible for everything they do as the boater cannot provide any assistance whatsoever (except to run the trolling motor for some of the younger kids). They serve only as a "chauffer" to run from one spot to another on the big motor. Junior anglers will share time at the front of the boat and selection of areas to fish.

Our local teen club, the Delta Teen Team will be sending down 3 anglers from each age group to compete against the best from the two other registered junior clubs in the state. These kids competed in a series of club tournaments that started last September and ran through April where they collected points for their placements in each tournament.

Delta Teen Team anglers participating are:

11-14 year olds:

Matt Carabello
Luke Deneen
Tanner Sterud

15 - 18 year olds:

Angelo Ambrosino
Jason Conser
Jon Rodgers

Matt, Angelo and Jason are all repeat winners and have made the trip to Nationals before!

There will be a BBQ lunch for all attending after the weigh-in, so if you are in the area please come down to show your support for these kids! They all do a great job of promoting our sport and getting other kids to get involved with bass fishing!

Please wish these kids all the luck in the world, and extend your gratitude to the local volunteer boaters who are donating their time to take these kids out on the water:

Tony Stoltz
Tom Stater
Niel Sterud

Thanks, and good luck to all of the anglers!