May 8, 2008 - B.A.S.S. announced today that Onondaga Lake will serve as the competition waters for the 2008 Junior Bassmaster World Championship, set for Aug. 9-10. The 94 top youth competitors in the world, paired into two age divisions of 11-14 and 15-18, will square off for $23,000 in scholarship money, with the winners earning the distinction as the top youth anglers in the sport.

The competition will coincide with the season-ending Bassmaster Elite Series event on Oneida Lake, ensuring that each JWC competitor will fish with an Elite pro. Elite Series anglers who don’t make the Saturday cut will be randomly paired with JWC state qualifiers from each age division and the pairings will remain for Sunday. 

After pairings Friday night, the JWC competitors and their pros will take to Onondaga for a practice day Saturday, Aug. 9. The competition will kick off Sunday, Aug. 10, with the competitors weighing their catches on the Elite stage before the final-day weigh-in for the Elite Series. The JWC competitors will operate under standard B.A.S.S. rules.

“We applaud the Federation Nations across the country for their devotion to B.A.S.S.’ youth programs,” said Tom Ricks, Vice President and General Manager, B.A.S.S. “The mentoring of these youth anglers is central to the growth of the sport.  We know the JWC competitors will have a fantastic time on Onondaga.”

The Junior Bassmaster World Championship showcases the top youth anglers in the world and provides them the opportunity to fish competitively with B.A.S.S., which boasts the most visible tournament structure in the world. Last month, former JWC champion Bradley Roy, 17, qualified for the B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship, set for Kansas’ Milford Lake in November. 

“The Junior Bassmaster program has now matured and is revitalizing the sport with young adults,” said Stacy Twiggs, Senior Manager, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Youth. “Introducing fishing to a new generation of anglers has always been important to B.A.S.S., and we’ve seen some great stories unfold through our youth programs.” 

In 2007, South Africa’s Jeffrey Toplis, 14, and Kentucky’s Kalem Tippett, 17, persevered through chilly temperatures and gusting winds on Alabama’s Logan Martin Lake to win the fourth annual Junior World Bassmaster Championship in their respective age divisions.

“We are honored to host such an important event as the Junior Bassmaster World Championship,” said John Rathbun, director of sports development for the Syracuse Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.  “We are excited to showcase a world-class fishery in Lake Onondaga.”