Toyota-Drive the Nation deadline October 31, 2008 For additional incentives and information please contact your region director.

The Federation Nation of Virginia had their 2008 BASS/ESPN Junior State Championship at Smith Mountain Lake pm August 17, sponsored by Sandi and Nick Loganadan from Anglers Choice Marine of Martinsville, VA. This is the second year that Anglers Choice has sponsored our youth tournament and what class they bring to our youth championship!
Region 5 Director Mike Bryant and Region 2 Director Steve Woodruff provided volunteer boat captains for the supervised practice on Saturday and for the JSC on Sunday.



For the first time, we were able to pair both youth with the same boat number to fish on practice day and the championship day.  We even had extra volunteers who wanted to be involved in this very competitive event.
The youth anglers were out on the water at safe light on practice day and returned to a home cooked meal provided by Nick Loganadan from Anglers Choice Marine, with hot dogs, hamburgers, and some of the best chicken we ever ate.



On championship day, volunteer boat captains and youth met at waters edge for registration at 5:15am.  “I’m proud to be an American”, the stillness on Smith Mountain Lake and then the playing of the National Anthem and salute to the flag will long be remembered. The amazing effort of our older youth looking for their younger co-anglers was indicative of what our youth advisors are teaching our older kids.  They are learning to be leaders at all tournaments. What a family we are becoming……
At 1:00pm on championship day all boats reported in on time. Due to no available dock space and heavy pleasure boaters, we had our first trailered weigh-in! We were able to trailer the kids on the boat as they do at the JWC and walk across the stage for the interview and watch their weigh on the scales.
In keeping with our mission to create new leaders for our programs, Ben Bresnahan, of Orange County Bassmasters and Jessie Lineberry of Black Hollow Bassmasters measured the fish and weighed them under the direction of Paul Thomson and Joan Blankenship.  Junior anglers are being educated to perform these very responsible duties in preparation for doing the same task with the adult events.  As one junior angler stated, “When you are looking for a win every ounce counts.”  .



In addition to the junior anglers, the CastingKids® champions are moving on to the Mid-Atlantic this year as well.  Jacob and Ryan Bush  will compete against other Mid-Atlantic competitors for the title and an opportunity to move on to the National event and then on to the Bassmaster Classic.  This is an added step this year and also the point that only two will advance from the Mid Atlantic contenders.  They will only have a week to practice and prepare for this highly coveted honor.



   As I left New York after the Junior World Championship, I ran into terrible rain and hail.  The bridges stated “Caution, Ice on the Roads” and it was August.  On the horizon was the most vivid rainbow and it made me think that our junior anglers are chasing rainbows and the pot of gold is the coveted day on the lake with a professional angler.  Not an event passes without at least one junior angler talking about a “Pro”.
   Less than a week later, I was at Smith Mountain Lake with 18 junior anglers who were completing for the two places that will take them to the Mid-Atlantic regional competition in September. All of the competitors had to qualify for this event by finishing first, second or third in one of three qualifying events.  Competition this year has been tough to say the least.  Gone are the days when kids were novices at fishing.



   Mitch Willis, from Warren County Junior Bassmasters, who won as a junior in 2007 will advance as a senior.  Somehow he managed to catch enough fish in the senior age division to try to earn his way to a second opportunity to fish with a “pro.”



   Hannah Brooke, the first female to compete for the state championship, finished a very close second in the senior division.  Hannah is from Wise County.  Rounding out the top three was Ricky Vance of Frederick County Bass Wranglers. 



   Kevin Beasley, our junior angler managed to blow everyone away with a 4 fish limit of bass that weighed 8.21 pounds.  Kevin has been pursuing this goal since he could walk and has tried to learn everything that he could about Professional angling including the business side of the competition.  Like others before him, he is dreaming of fishing with a “pro”.
   Ben Snapp finished second with 3 fish that weighed 5.98 pounds and Jacob Cooper of Henry County Bassmasters finished third with a very respectable limit that weighed    5.37 pounds.  It is safe to say that the junior anglers had some impressive weights and both Ben and Jacob are quite young and we can expect to see their names in print more often in the future. 



  The pot of gold is what the junior anglers are chasing and it is in the form of the “Pro’s”.  I asked Jesse Lineberry who fished with Rick Clunn in freezing cold weather in Alabama what it meant to him.  He stated that it wouldn’t have mattered whether he caught a fish or not for the experience.  His memories of conversations with Rick Clunn are still vivid and firmly etched in his mind. 
   Mitch Willis had fished with Jared Lintner in New York and was hoping that he would get the opportunity to do it again.  Mitch wore a lucky Toyota Tundra cap in Iconelli style to fish the state team event and stated that New York was the best experience of his life.  He had learned how to use a drop shot, fish deep clear water and other skills that helped him win again this year.



   Blake Gillispie had the opportunity to fish with Denny Brauer.  He describes it as an experience that he will never forget.  One parent suggested that the states might consider picking up the cost for this opportunity.  Gold is really expensive but this may be one time that the expense is worth it.