ANDERSON, S.C. — Talented young anglers from 32 states will converge on Lake Hartwell July 21-22 for the 2023 Bassmaster Junior National Championship for second- through eighth-grade anglers. This will mark the first time the championship has been decided outside of the state of Tennessee.
After qualifying for the tournament through state events and four Opens held on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes, Alabama’s Lay Lake, Chickamauga Lake in Tennessee and Louisiana’s Red River, 127 teams will compete for the junior championship crown.
“I think people will be amazed, not only by the knowledge these young anglers have of the sport, but by the size of the fish they bring to the scales,” said Glenn Cale, B.A.S.S. Nation tournament manager — College, High School and Junior. “What they know and how they perform at such a young age really shows how the sport of competitive bass fishing is evolving — and gives us a good idea of the kind of competition we’ll see at the higher ranks in the future.”
In 2022, Mark Cerja Jr. and Gus Richardson of the Lone Star Junior Bassmasters took home the title with a two-day total of 18 pounds, 5 ounces and were honored during the Night of Champions at the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.
Each two-angler team is accompanied by a coach who runs the boat and can give advice on fishing techniques and patterns.
The full field of competitors will depart each day at 6:20 a.m. ET from Green Pond Landing and return at 1:20 p.m. for weigh-in. Full coverage will be available on Bassmaster.com.
The Bassmaster Junior Series National Championship is being hosted by Visit Anderson.
2023 Bassmaster Junior Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2023 Bassmaster Junior Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2023 Bassmaster Junior Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew’s, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2023 Bassmaster Junior Series Youth Sponsors: 13 Fishing, Seaguar, Shimano
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About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.
