District 19
Wes Wezenberg scored an extra $500 in Ranger Cup winnings.
Oregon’s Jeremy McKay took the early boater lead with a
20.80-pound limit on day one and backed it up on day two
with 12.44 pounds for a 33.24-pound two-day total and the
win. He earned a $1,420 paycheck for his efforts, along with
a ticket to the 2018 TBF National Championship.
Other championship qualifiers include Wes Wezenberg,
who finished first among boaters from Washington with 29.44
pounds, co-angler winner Scott Seros of Oregon who caught
24.40 pounds and Washington’s top co-angler Hernandez
Ruffin with 23.36 pounds.
Washington narrowly edged out Oregon, 160.21 to
159.85 pounds, for the State Pride Award.
The Montana Bass Federation hosted the District 19 Semi-
Finals at Lakeside Resort on Noxon Reservoir out of Trout
Creek, Mont., Sept. 23-24.
Idaho’s Loren Torok sacked an impressive 20.24-pound
limit en route to a 31.91-pound total weight and the district
boater title worth $1,410.
Local angler J.D. Woods took the co-angler crown with
19.84 pounds, worth $705.
Other championship qualifiers include Montana boater
Tim Johnston, who caught 30.60 pounds, and Idaho co-
angler Shannon Wadas, who weighed in 17.58 pounds.
In State Pride Award competition, the Montana Bass
Federation took top honors with 142.95 pounds to Idaho’s
123.41.
District 19 championship qualifiers.
ALABAMA BASS FEDERATION REPORT
T
hanks to a winning combination of tournament oppor-
tunities, conservation stewardship projects, charity
events and exciting new programs, the Alabama Bass
Federation is enjoying steady growth in member numbers
and participation.
“We saw increases in 2017, and expect these trends to
continue in 2018,” says ABF President Jim Sparrow.
Tournament Opportunities
84
Like other state federations, ABF maintains a tournament
trail for adult TBF members. The 2017 season included
events on fisheries such as Logan Martin, Wilson Lake and
Lake Eufaula, followed by a state championship on Lay Lake
in September.
Sparrow reports that the TBF National Semi-Finals system
of qualifying for the TBF National Championship is also pop-
ular among Alabama’s adult TBF members.
“Our members like the opportunities for advancement,”
he says, “along with the close-to-home events and increased
payout.
“We just competed in the 2017 District 4 Semi-Finals
event, which was held on the Biloxi Back Bay-Pascagoula River
fishery,” Sparrow adds. “Our Mississippi Bass Federation
hosts did a great job, and we’re looking forward to hosting it
in Alabama next season.”
Alabama’s expanded youth tournament program sparked an increase in
participation among young anglers.
FLWFISHING.COM I JANUARY 2018