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Branson To Host The Bass Federation’s Best for the 2009 TBF National Championship

Ponca City, Okla. - The Bass Federation announced today that the resort community of Branson, Mo., and Bull Shoals Lake will host The Bass Federation National Championship presented by the National Guard in 2009. The event will be held March 10 through 15, and is the culmination of more than two years of qualification for most of the 30,000 anglers that are members of TBF.

Anglers from six TBF divisions competed locally in their home states during 2007 to qualify for the 2008 no-entry- fee TBF Divisional Championship Series tournaments. The top two anglers from each state at those events will advance to compete in the no-entry-fee 2009 TBF National Championship.

Once again the prestigious event will be held in conjunction with one of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour stops the same week on Table Rock Lake. Weigh-ins and Family Fun Zone festivities for both events will be held at the new Branson Convention Center.

“We tried a ‘dual’ TBF Championship and FLW Tour event in 2008, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive from our anglers and everyone else who attended.” said TBF President Robert Cartlidge. “It is a lot of work to do two major events at the same time, and it takes a lot of dedicated FLW Outdoors and TBF people to make it work. But the events feed off each other and are both bigger and better because of it. Branson is a great family destination, with many things to do and see. It is right in the heart of ‘fishing country’ and we expect big crowds and lots of fun. Our anglers deserve nothing less than the very best we can give them.”

TBF National Championship anglers will compete for their share of over $200,000 in cash and merchandise, every TBF Championship angler will receive a check and other prizes including a $100,000 “Living the Dream” prize package and berths into two of the sport’s most coveted events – the $1 million BFL All-American presented by Chevy, where boaters compete for a top award of up to $140,000 and co-anglers cast for a top award of up to $70,000, and the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol, where pros compete for a top award of up to $1 million and co-anglers fish for a top award of up to $50,000.

 

The top boater and top co-angler from each of the TBF six divisions at the TBF National Championship in Branson will advance to the 2009 Wal-Mart BFL All-American. The TBF Federation National Champion boater and co-angler winners also qualify for the 2009 Forrest Wood Cup. In addition to these incredibly lucrative championship berths, the winning boater at the TBF National Championship will also receive $10,000 cash, the use of a “Living the Dream” wrapped Chevy truck and Ranger boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha, sponsor merchandise, paid entry fees into the winner’s choice of either the 2009 FLW Tour or Wal-Mart FLW Series and some travel expense money.

An official practice day will be held Wednesday, March 11, followed by three days of competition held March 12 through 14. The entire field will compete Thursday and Friday. The field will then be cut to the top boater and co-angler from each of the TBF six divisions for Saturday. The National Champion boater and co-angler will be determined Saturday by the heaviest three-day accumulated weight.

Coverage of the TBF National Championship presented by the National Guard will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States on June 8 as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia and the Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. EST. Check local listings for times in your area.

Tournament anglers aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing, FLW Outdoors offers anyone the opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. Players can become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, providing them with exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage gives an edge over the competition and can increase a shot for the $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008, the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.

The Bass Federation Inc. (TBF) is the oldest and largest, organized grassroots angling organization in America. TBF is owned by those it serves and is dedicated to the sport of fishing. TBF affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 fishing, youth and conservation events at the local level each year and have provided the foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 30 years.