FUCHS WINS
TBF NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP
CO-ANGLER
TITLE
I
ndiana co-angler John Fuchs, rep-
resenting the Northern Division,
earned the TBF National
Championship title from the back of
the boat. He took home a $30,000
“Living the Dream” prize package,
which includes a $20,000 check and
fully paid entry fees into the Costa
FLW Series division of his choosing.
A three-day total of 28.05 pounds
earned Fuchs the win. Afterward, he
told the weigh-in crowd he was just
thinking about calling his wife and
talking to his twin 12-year-old boys to
celebrate his win.
“My wife might be crying, she is so
happy for me,” Fuchs told the crowd.
“Last night, she told me, no matter
what happens, I’m always going to be
a winner in her eyes.
“My 12-year-old boys, they look up
to me. I don’t know what I’d do with-
out them.”
For complete results and a full
recap, visit BassFederation.com.
SUMMER 2019 I FLWFISHING.COM
HIGH SCHOOL FISHING WORLD
FINALS, NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
REACH NEW HEIGHTS
A total prize pool of about $2.7 million was at stake when the top high
school anglers competed on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala., for the
Student Angler Federation High School Fishing World Finals and National
Championship dual event June 19-22. (Note: The event was held just after
press time. A complete recap will be in the Fall 2019 issue.)
The dual tournaments, which comprise High School Fishing’s premier
event, included about 400 teams from across the U.S. and Canada – and
as far away as Zimbabwe.
“Sadly, most of the fishing world gave little notice when we founded
SAF and the national high school program in 2007,” says TBF President
and CEO Robert Cartlidge. “Company after company responded with lit-
tle or no interest. However, it was such a passion for the Federation, so we
took on a ‘build it and they will come’ mantra. In 2010, we launched the
first High School Fishing World Finals event, and the rest, as they say, is
history.”
Ranger Boats, Pure Fishing, TBF and FLW partnered together in 2011
to roll out state championships in dozens of states, and by 2012, there
was an SAF State Championship or an FLW Open offered in every conti-
nental U.S. state and one in Canada. Additional sponsors such as
Evinrude, Lowrance, Lew’s and Cabela’s joined in to help propel the
growth.
“While it’s true TBF had a vision and pursued it relentlessly, without
these partners it never would have reached the heights it has, and we’re
nowhere near finished,” Cartlidge adds. “We are still expanding and
growing rapidly. In fact, in the coming year, under the SAF umbrella of
affiliated and sanctioned events led by TBF and FLW, nationwide, more
than 40,000 participants will spend a day on the water in a High School
Fishing event. We’re very proud of that.”
This year, SAF welcomed an ever-growing list of industry partners and
colleges now stepping up to see this dream come to fruition. Bethel
University offered scholarships to World Finals anglers from the start. In
nine years, Bethel is approaching nearly $1 million in total scholarship
offers to SAF anglers. This year, Bethel offered up two scholarships worth
$96,000.
For 2019, Kentucky Christian University, located in Grayson, Ky., and its
head bass fishing coach Brian Slone pledged $1 million in college scholar-
ships to be divided among top finishers at the World Finals. And Simpson
University in Redding, Calif., got on board to offer $1.5 million in scholar-
ships to top finishers, primarily from from Western states.
That’s in addition to annual commitments from long-time national sup-
porters, FLW scholarships, TBF/SAF scholarships, more than $10,000 in
gift cards, electronics, laptops, televisions, kayaks, and a host of other
prizes and gifts.
“While this may well be the richest prize pool ever offered for a single
bass fishing championship event, that is not what makes it a valuable
event,” says Cartlidge. “In our minds, as far as TBF and our partners in
fishing at FLW are concerned, what makes this the richest payback has
nothing to do with the dollar amount. It’s because of the more than 60
top-notch educational scholarships that students will have a chance to
earn degrees with. Those educations are worth more than any dollar
amount anyone can put on it.
“That is what this program is all about – education through fishing,”
Cartlidge adds. “We as an industry cannot thank KCU, Bethel University,
Simpson University and all the other partners and sponsors enough for
their support of our young anglers.”
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