In 2004, ESPN/BASS agreed to take over the Junior Bassmasters Invitational
program and the Junior Bassmasters National Championship tournament,
previously sponsored by the Fund. The Invitationals became Divisional
tournaments along the same structure as the adult BASS Federation
program and the National Championship tournament became the Junior
Bassmaster World Championship tournament. This development should
provide greater exposure and awareness of the importance of youth
fishing programs. The following article, reproduced with the permission
of ESPN/BASS, appeared in the October 2004 issue of Bassmaster magazine.
Junior World Champions Crowned
During Classic Week
BY CRAIG LAMB , Senior Writer
AGE, AGILITY AND EXPERIENCE was all that separated the anglers
casting in the inaugural Junior Bassmaster World Championship from a
similar competition universally accepted as the sport's most prestigious
event. Otherwise, the gung-ho drive to win and the high stakes
atmosphere mirrored the CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch
Beer. And that ambiance was part of a plan that succeeded in raising the
bar on youth involvement in bass fishing through the same fundamental
principle on which BASS was founded long ago.
The junior pros, wearing neatly pressed and logo emblazoned
tournament jerseys, followed the same stringent rules as the Classic
pros. They got a taste of what it's like to fish under the limitation of
time. They crossed the same weigh-in stage used by the pros to weigh
their catches. They were interviewed by the media about their
strategies. Some even signed autographs for fans. And they also faced
the stark reality that comes with a professional bass fishing career -
sometimes fishing is just plain tough.
The one day event was held in July (July 26, 2004) on North
Carolina's Lake Norman, just days before the Classic. The format divided
66 youths into two age divisions: 11 to 14, and 15 to 17. The
contestants qualified from state, local or regional tournaments. Two
youths from each age group were paired with one of 33 Classic pros who
volunteered as mentors and boat captains to the youths. The pros piloted
official Triton X-Series Limited Edition Classic boats to fishing spots
and then took the backseat as the youths fished.
The two emerging winners were Sean Alarid, 15, of Oakley, Calif., and
Bradley Roy, 13, of Lancaster, Ky. Each angler collected $5,000 in
college scholarships from a total prize purse of $27,000. Alarid, of the
Delta Teen Team, landed three 14-inch keepers for a weight of 6 pounds,
3 ounces. Roy, from the Junior Kentucky River Bassmasters, managed two
fish weighing 3-15. Alarid's catch also included a 3-15 largemouth,
earning him the $1,000 Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament award.
Alarid, who learned to drop shot at age 11, wisely applied the West
Coast technique made for tough fishing on the stingy waters of Lake
Norman, a highly pressured and popular, fishery located in suburban
Charlotte. His strategy was targeting fish holding near docks positioned
near the deeper water of main lake points. “I planned on drop shotting
because probably not a lot of people do it out here," said Alarid, who
articulated his words like a seasoned pro. "I want to someday fish in
the Classic and in a way, now I've done it."
Roy chose a more textbook approach by casting a crankbait and plastic
worm around riprap shorelines. "Being around the pros, meeting them and
learning from them was just awesome," said Roy, who'd already gained
seven sponsors before the event. "I just came here to learn. I did that
while having fun, and meeting new friends."
The pros freely admitted they were impressed by their understudies,
among those Alarid's boat captain and mentor, Arkansan Mike McClelland.
"I had a preset idea of what I wanted to do on Lake Wylie for the
Classic, and it didn't include drop shotting," he said. "But it made
sense, obviously, even though he didn't catch a lot of fish with it."
McClelland was not alone in his praise for the skill and determination
of the youths. "There is so much more information out there available to
those kids than when I was their age," said veteran Gary Klein. "I
wasn't even close to some of them in skill and knowledge at that age. It
was an eye opener. They are very competitive and are interested in
acquiring more knowledge about the sport. It's really impressive." No
stronger statement could have come from one 32year-old pro who, as the
son of Denny Brauer, was mentored by BASS fishing's all-time money
winner. "I wish this event had been around when I was their age,"
praised Missouri's Chad Brauer, the boat captain for Roy. "I guess it
tells you about where the (BASS Chapter) Federation is headed with this
program and how committed BASS is to the youth movement."
Neither Roy nor Aland are tournament rookies. Both have competed
since the age of seven in tournaments with their fathers, Steve Alarid
and Anthony Roy. "This is a great opportunity for getting youths into
fishing," said Steve Alarid. "Teen-agers are easy to influence, but they
also have a lot of distractions as they reach that age that opens the
world up to them. "What this does is give them a chance to pursue a
goal, travel and be exposed to mature situations that will benefit them
later in life."
And if they try hard enough, hoist a trophy years before they might
again as adults in another world championship. All it takes to join them
now is membership in a BASS Federation Junior Chapter. For information
on how to join, visit www.bassmaster.com or call BASS at 334-272-9530.
Note: In a surprise that was kept secret by BASS officials all week,
Sean and Bradley were awarded fully rigged Triton Boats with Mercury
outboard engines as well as expense paid, four day trips to Walt Disney
World for their World Championship wins.
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