Vote for B.A.S.S. Conservation today

Nationwide Insurance has selected seven worthy organizations to win a portion of $75,000. Chosen by an online vote, the winner of the vote will receive $45,000. The remaining six organizations will each receive $5,000.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Take 5 seconds to help B.A.S.S. Conservation win $45,000.

Nationwide Insurance has selected seven worthy organizations to win a portion of $75,000. Chosen by an online vote, the winner of the vote will receive $45,000. The remaining six organizations will each receive $5,000.

“These funds would help B.A.S.S. Conservation all over the United States,” said Gene Gilliland, conservation director for B.A.S.S. “All it takes is for people who care about bass fishing to click here, click on the B.A.S.S. Conservation logo, and then click Vote. You can vote daily.”

The funds would be directed to B.A.S.S. Nation members in local bass clubs and state organizations who are working to improve water quality, enhance fish habitat, increase fishing access, fighting invasive species and refining tournament procedures to ensure the highest possible survival rate of released fish.

“Those projects take money — money that local bass clubs often have a difficult time raising,” said Gilliland. “And the really big issues facing fishing, such as watershed protection and pollution issues, require lots of money and lots of partners.

“The past two years, B.A.S.S. Conservation has been able to award small grants using donations from sponsor companies, but winning the Nationwide contest would give us the opportunity to fund more and larger projects that would benefit a much larger portion of the B.A.S.S. Nation,” Gilliland added.

“Nationwide’s contribution of $5,000 will help fund projects and other priorities,” said Tim Cook, conservation director of the Texas B.A.S.S. Nation. “Winning this contest by receiving the most votes means an additional $40,000 to our program. This kind of money could not only fund additional projects but could help provide additional training for our state conservation directors to strengthen their programs nationwide.”

Because of lack of funds, B.A.S.S. Conservation has been unable to support several commendable projects, including tracking bass after release to monitor survival and dispersal, installing artificial structures that will help young bass thrive and educating anglers on proper disposal of fishing lines and lures.

An influx of $45,000 would help B.A.S.S. Conservation address the aforementioned problems, as well as help clubs construct live release boats, assist lakeside homeowners with reducing runoff, build handicap-accessible piers, and remove invasive plants and fish species.

All it takes is two clicks to this site on a daily basis: http://huntingandfishing.nationwide.com/. You don’t even have to register any personal information. Just be sure to select the B.A.S.S. Conservation tab.

Organizations besides B.A.S.S. Conservation that are in the voting lineup are Keep America Fishing, National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Buckmasters, Wildlife Forever, Pheasants Forever.