DECATUR, Ala. — On Oct. 27, competitors ages 11 to 18 will show off their fishing skills on the final day of the 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship.
Contenders in the 2012 Bassmaster Junior World Championship (JWC) will fish Wilson Lake in Decatur, Ala., and they will weigh in on the same stage with their adult counterparts.
Six competitors from each of the two age groups (11 to 14 and 15 to 18) will vie for bragging rights, and all participants will receive scholarships to be used for education.
Six Yamaha and Skeeter boat rigs will be provided for the championship. Members of the Calhoun Community College fishing team and the Alabama B.A.S.S. Federation Nation are volunteer boat captains. They are not permitted to provide any information to the young anglers; they can observe and drive only.
These young anglers have advanced through a number of qualifying rounds on the local, state and divisional levels to qualify for the JWC. Competitors are paired according to the divisions from which they qualified.
“Wilson Lake will be an exciting fishery for these anglers,” said Jon Stewart, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation senior manager. “It’s chock-full of spotted bass and smallmouth bass, and many of these young guys have never caught a spotted bass like they’ll catch out of Wilson Lake.
“It’s a fantastic fishery nestled between lakes Wheeler and Pickwick,” Stewart continued.
The competitors will launch at 6:45 a.m. Central from Safe Harbor, and they’ll cross the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation stage during the adult weigh-in.
Video of the weigh-ins will be streamed live on Bassmaster.com. To see who’s competing, view this photo gallery or this score card.