THE BASS FEDERATION
Edited by Mason Prince
OREGON TBF THRIVING UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP
Oregon Federation president Tom Hartshorn and secretary / treasurer Gary Harral .
The Bass Federation is a nationwide organization with federations in 47 of the 50 states . One state that has gained some serious ground in the last couple years is the Oregon federation , which is headed up by president Tom Hartshorn and secretary / treasurer Gary Harral .
Before Hartshorn and Harral took over in 2020 , grassroots fishing in the state of Oregon was on the decline . There were only six total TBF events throughout the state and only 85 members in 2019 . When Hartshorn assumed the task of guiding Oregon ’ s TBF program , he knew some changes needed to be made to see the Oregon federation recover its membership and grow .
“ Membership was really dwindling when we took over ,” Hartshorn said . “ The first thing we did was bring in some local sponsors and split the state up into two divisions .
Those were the two most important things for us to accomplish in the beginning .”
Prior to 2020 , TBF tournaments were held on the Columbia River . The mighty Columbia – while being a worldclass smallmouth fishery and an excellent largemouth fishery – can be a daunting fishery for anglers who aren ’ t entirely familiar with it . The largest North American river flowing into the Pacific Ocean , it ’ s prone to heavy winds , rough weather and choppy water in the stretch of the Columbia flowing through eastern Oregon . That ’ s why Hartshorn and Harral agreed that a departure from the Columbia would encourage more Beaver State bass anglers to participate on the Oregon TBF trail .
“ I think fishing the Columbia River can intimidate some [ anglers ],” Hartshorn reiterated . “ To accommodate that and
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