Bass Fishing Jun - Jul 2020 | Page 94

THE BASS FEDERATION 2020 JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AND STATE FEDERATION LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE HEAD TO OHIO THE BASS FEDERATION RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT TWO OF ITS PREMIER SUMMERTIME EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE IN TRUMBULL COUNTY, OHIO, IN JULY The 2020 The Bass Federation Junior World Championship (JWC) is set for July 29-31 on Mosquito Lake. It’s a two-person team tournament spread over three days of competition. The TBF Junior program includes all anglers age 15 or younger as of Aug. 31, 2020, but only top Junior teams that qualified through state-level competition will compete. As is tradition, the TBF State Leadership Conference will also be held in conjunction with the JWC. As part of the conference, 49 TBF-affiliated state Federations in the U.S. and Canada have been invited to send officials to attend meetings on youth and conservation items, strategic planning, tournament fishing, and safely operating local and state events in the era of COVID- 19, as well as to participate in the annual elections of TBF national directors. The North American Bass Challenge (NABC) will also host a premier Big Fish event at Mosquito Lake on Saturday, Aug. 1, with the top prize of a new Ranger aluminum boat for the single biggest bass caught. The event is open to the public. Visit the web at NorthAmericanBassChallenge.com for more information. “We’re excited to hold this event in Cortland, Ohio, on Mosquito Lake,” says TBF President and CEO Robert Cartlidge. “It is a new location for us, but Mosquito Lake is a top-rated Ohio destination and a great place to host our events. There is a lot in the area for our attendees to do, and Trumbull County is rolling out the red carpet for them.” Trumbull County is located midway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh and about an hour from each. It’s home to Mosquito Lake, which is Ohio’s secondlargest inland lake at 7,850 acres, plus the Mahoning River and Pymatuning Creek, a state-designated Wild and Scenic River. It’s also home to the nation’s fourth-largest Amish community and the birthplace of President William McKinley. “We’re thrilled to welcome anglers from around the country here to Mosquito Lake, Ohio’s premier bass fishing location,” adds Beth Carmichael, executive director of the Trumbull County Tourism Bureau. “In addition to the excitement of these ‘top-in-class’ competitions, the area offers fantastic opportunities for family and friends who travel with the competitors, including kayaking the Mahoning River, area playgrounds, golfing and disc golfing. The Eastwood Mall Complex not only offers a variety of shopping and dining options, but there are also two movie theaters, a trampoline park and creative opportunities at their one-of-a-kind shops.” EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE By its very nature, fishing out on a lake away from crowds is social distancing. Regardless, event officials are taking extra steps to ensure a safe event. Conference invitees who happen to be in a COVID-19-restricted state or area at that time, those who are at risk, and anyone who simply chooses not to attend in person will be able to access conference content digitally. Federation officials have worked with health experts to develop COVID- 19-compliant measures for the conference, weigh-in and meetings, as well as at other events across the nation (more on that momentarily). TBF officials note that these measures will help keep participants and communities safe while still doing their part to help ease the economic strain and get people and businesses in our country back to work. 92 FLWFISHING.COM | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING.COM | JUNE-JULY 2020