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Jan 31
Humminbird® Introduces New SOLIX™ Series with Cross Touch and the Industry’s Biggest Screen Size!
Dec 14
THE BASS FEDERATION(TBF) AND FISHING LEAGUE WORLDWIDE (FLW) EXTEND PARTNERSHIP
FLW to Debut 24-event High School Fishing Open Series
MINNEAPOLIS (Dec. 14, 2016) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) and The Bass Federation (TBF) today announced a multi-year extension to their strategic partnership, bolstering the relationship between the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization and the nation’s oldest broad-based grassroots fishing, youth and conservation organization. Terms of the agreement were not released.
As part of the extended partnership FLW will undertake the largest expansion of the co-managed High School Fishing program since launching the state-championship series of High School Fishing events in partnership with TBF in 2011. The expansion includes facilitating a new series of 24 High School Fishing Open tournaments to complement the existing State Championships and High School Fishing World Finals coordinated by TBF. TBF will also debut two High School Fishing Challenge events to meet growing demand from the more than 15,000 young anglers that participated in the program in 2016. All told, students will now have 76 FLW and TBF High School Fishing events in which to compete in 2017.
“High School Fishing is the foundation on which our sport will continue to grow,” said FLW President of Operations Kathy Fennel. “With the continued erosion of traditional pathways into fishing, the industry is taking note of High School Fishing’s recruitment, retention and reactivation potential. All it takes is one visit to a High School Fishing tournament to see that FLW and TBF have tapped into something special that unites generations in a way our sport has never seen before.”
No changes will be made to the existing program for adult TBF anglers. Fourteen TBF anglers (seven boaters and seven co-anglers) will advance to the BFL All-American from the TBF National Championship. The TBF National Champion boater will also advance to the Forrest Wood Cup and continue to receive the life-changing “Living the Dream” package to fish the entire season as an FLW Tour pro using a TBF-wrapped Ranger boat and tow vehicle without paying a single entry fee. TBF members will also continue to receive priority entry into all FLW tournaments.
“TBF is proud to partner with FLW in providing the nation’s most extensive network of grass-roots fishing opportunities from our TBF junior program through high school and college to the TBF National Semi-Final Series for adult anglers and ultimately our ‘Living the Dream’ package on the FLW Tour,” said TBF President Robert Cartlidge. “No two organizations work more closely to provide more fishing opportunities for more anglers nationwide than FLW and TBF. We are proud of that tradition and what it means for future generations.”
Veteran Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament director Dave Maxfield has been tapped to lead the new series of High School Fishing Opens as FLW High School Fishing tournament director. Working closely alongside Maxfield will be Scott Ellison, who has been promoted to FLW Youth Director and Promotion’s Manager.
Going forward, High School Fishing will operate on a school calendar with the National Championship being held in the summer in conjunction with the High School Fishing World Finals. The top 10 percent of teams in each State Championship, Challenge and Open will advance directly to the High School Fishing National Championship. The High School Fishing national champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice.
All participants must be Student Angler Federation (SAF) members to participate. SAF membership includes both TBF and FLW membership plus a digital subscription to FLW Bass Fishing magazine, online training courses and more.
SAF members never pay an entry fee to participate in FLW or TBF High School Fishing tournaments and all clubs are covered by SAF insurance, which means there is no added expense for schools with sanctioned High School Fishing clubs.
2017 High School Fishing Open & Challenge Schedule:
Jan. 15 – Lake Okeechobee Challenge, Lake Okeechobee
Feb. 19 – Lake Hartwell Early Bird Challenge, Lake Hartwell
March 4 – South Carolina Open, Lake Murray
March 11 – Mississippi Open, Columbus Pool
March 25 – Arkansas Open, Lake Hamilton
April 1 – Texas Open, Lake of the Pines
April 22 – Alabama Open, Logan Martin Lake
April 29 – North Carolina Open, High Rock Lake
May 6 – Wisconsin Open & Iowa State Championship, Mississippi River @ La Crosse
May 13 – Missouri Open, Truman Lake
May 14 – California Open & State Championship, California Delta
May 20 – Virginia Open & State Championship, Claytor Lake
June 3 – Minnesota Open, Mississippi River
June 10 – Michigan Open & State Championship, Detroit River
Sept. 9 – Louisiana Open, Ouachita River
Sept. 16 – Maryland Open, Potomac River
Sept. 23 – Pennsylvania Open, Raystown Lake
Sept. 30 – Indiana Open, Lake Monroe
Oct. 7 – Illinois Open, Lake Springfield
Oct.14 – New York Open, Oneida Lake
Oct. 21- Oklahoma Open, Grand Lake
Oct. 28 – Ohio Open, Caesar Creek
Nov. 4 – Kentucky Open, Lake Cumberland
Nov. 18 – Tennessee Open, Norris Lake
Dec. 2 – Georgia Open, Lake Lanier
Dec. 9 – Florida Open, St. Johns River
2017 High School Fishing State Championship Schedule:
Jan. 29 – Texas State Championship, Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Feb. 11 – Georgia State Championship, West Point Lake
Feb. 26 – Florida State Championship, St. Johns River
March 25 – Louisiana State Championship,Cross Lake
April 1- Kentucky State Championship, Lake Cumberland
April 1- Mississippi State Championship, Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
April 2 – Illinois State Championship, Clinton Lake
April 9 – North Carolina State Championship, Kerr Lake
April 9 – Missouri State Championship, Table Rock Lake
April 29 – South Carolina State Championship, Lake Murray
May 6 – Ohio State Championship, Alum Creek Reservoir
May 7 – Arkansas State Championship, Lake Dardanelle
May 7 – Idaho State Championship, C.J. Strike Reservoir
May 7 – Tennessee State Championship, Norris Lake
May 20 – Arizona State Championship, Lake Pleasant
May 21 – Alabama State Championship, Lake Neely Henry
June 3 – Indiana State Championship, Brookville Lake
June 3 – Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Connecticut Tri State Championship, Mashapaug Pond
June 11 – Colorado & New Mexico Dual State Championship, Lake Pueblo
July 8 – Wisconsin State Championship, Lake Winnebago
July 9 – Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland & New Jersey Quad State Championship,Chesapeake Bay
July 15 – New York State Championship, Mohawk River
July 15 – South Dakota State Championship, Lake Cochran
July 16 – Minnesota State Championship, Mille Lacs Lake
July 16 – Ontario Province Championship, Georgian Bay
July 22 – Nebraska State Championship, Lake Merritt
Aug. 13 – Washington State Championship, Potholes Reservoir
High School Fishing World Finals and National Championships:
June 3, 2017 – National Championship, Wheeler Lake
(2016 qualifiers)
June 27-July 1, 2017 2017 World Finals/National Championship, Pickwick Lake. (qualifiers from events held Jan. 1 – June 10, 2017)
June 26-30, 2018 2018 World Finals/National Championship, TBA. (qualifiers from events held June 11, 2017 to June 9, 2018)
Complete rules can be found online at FLWFishing.com and Highschoolfishing.org.
For State Championships, each team must compete in the state in which their school is located. Teams from all states can participate in Open tournaments and Challenge events. Entries for State Championships and Challenge events should be made at Highschoolfishing.org or by calling TBF at (580)-765-9031. Entries for Opens should be made at FLWfishing.com or by calling FLW at (270)-252-1000. Entries for all events will be accepted beginning January 3. There is no limit to the number of teams accepted into a tournament from each school or club.
Full schedules, including additional state championships, and latest announcements will be available on Highschoolfishing.org and FLWFishing.com.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat: @FLWFishing.
About The Bass Federation
The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is a member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. TBF is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. The Federation is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing, youth and conservation organization there is. TBF, our affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 events each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 45 years. TBF founded the Student Angler Federation and the National High School Fishing program in 2008 to promote clean family fun and education through fishing. Visit bassfederation.com or highschoolfishing.org and “LIKE US” on Facebook.
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Aug 29
Profiles in Brightness: Humminbird® HELIX™ 9 & 10
Profiles in Brightness: Humminbird® HELIX™ 9 & 10
Racine, WI (July 8, 2016): Although strategic planning, R&D, manufacturing, marketing, and sales are all responsible for the HELIX success story, Humminbird® brand manager Jeff Kolodzinski also credits end-users for leading the company down the right path.
“The ease of operation and a brighter, easier-to-read screen are the hallmark of the HELIX platform. It’s funny how some things remain. This was the very same feedback that we got decades ago when Humminbird launched the first color fishfinder and it remains true today. ‘Keep it simple and make it easy to read.’”
Based on this feedback, Humminbird launched HELIX 5 in November 2014, adding HELIX 7 a few months later in 2015. The latter culminated in Humminbird’s fifth consecutive “Best of Show – Electronics” win at ICAST 2015. Voters championed the HELIX 7 for its ultra-bright screen, pro-level features, and real-world pricing. And dealers reported strong sales from day one, many selling units as fast as they could stock shelves.
“I’ve been selling marine electronics for 24 years, and the Humminbird HELIX is by far the most colorful, brightest and easiest to read unit I’ve ever seen. I can teach someone in the store how to use one in a matter of minutes. And they continue to outsell other fishfinders by a considerable margin. There’s big angler demand,” says Wausau, Wisconsin, Gander Mountain store manager, Tom Keenan. “I know when I rig a HELIX on someone’s boat, they’ll be able to read the unit and see structure and fish.”
Outdoors retail expert Tom Keenan is also a winning walleye pro who relies on HELIX 10 units to climb leaderboards.
Following the launch of HELIX 7, many anglers saw the handwriting on the wall for even larger HELIX units.
“Anglers absolutely loved HELIX 5 and 7, but immediately starting asking for the same display brightness, ease of use and features in larger screen sizes,” says Kolodzinski.
Anglers also asked for the ability to network multiple units and utilize technologies like Minn Kota® i-Pilot® Link™ and Humminbird 360 Imaging™, which operate via ethernet connection. “Based on the importance of sharing waypoints and data between console and bow units, the decision to add an ethernet port to HELIX 9 and 10 models was a no-brainer. This also gave HELIX users the ability to tap the power of Minn Kota i-Pilot Link and 360 Imaging,” says Kolodzinski.
To those in retail, listening to customers seems like common sense. But in the world of marine electronics, customer-driven product design is still a fairly recent development. Not at Humminbird, who have embraced end-user feedback for decades.
“Years ago, then-Humminbird CEO Jim Balkcom discovered that fishermen didn’t necessarily want more bells and whistles; they wanted easier-to-use units that could be read in bright sunlight. This ran contrary to their expectations, but they decided to trust the end-user. That led to Humminbird’s development of the LCR Series, the first LCD fish-finder, which accounted for the company more than quadrupling its revenue within three years,” says Kolodzinski.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Fast-forward 30 years and today’s anglers are requesting almost the exact same attributes in an ideal fish-finder. And it’s called HELIX, a name and product that signifies Humminbird’s very DNA – bright, rugged, reliable, and easy to use.
But Humminbird didn’t stop there. New HELIX 9 and 10 units also offer anglers the revolutionary power of cartography products like AutoChart Live and SmartStrike™ – but more on that later.
2015 B.A.S.S. AOY Aaron Martens relies on a HELIX 10 (left) to keep him on fish-holding spots via LakeMaster charts.
And HELIX units just look cool, with that rare industrial design “wow” factor of a Dyson vacuum cleaner or iPad. Bold aesthetics start with HELIX 9 and 10’s integrated screen and frame that forms a single, continuous surface, surrounded by an ultra-slim bezel that also maximizes screen real estate. Almost flush to the edge, the 16:9 widescreen format allows easy split-screen viewing of Humminbird imaging technologies and LakeMaster cartography. Structure, contours and fish marks almost pop off the glass-bonded display with 1500 Nits brightness for optimal, glare-free viewing, even in full sun. That’s 50% brighter than legacy units like Humminbird 900 and 1100 series fishfinders.
“Although packed with awesome, easy-to-use features, HELIX 9 and 10 units also have serious curb appeal,” says Grant Prokop, owner of Thousand Lakes Sporting Goods in Cohasset, Minnesota. “The units look great on retail floor displays—even better on boats.”
But the rubber hits the road when customers leave the retail space and hit the water. Excelsior, Minnesota’s Kenny Tietz is an avid angler who is extremely satisfied with his recent investment. Tietz is now mapping the lake he lives on via AutoChart Live on his Humminbird HELIX 10, another awesome feature. “It’s just plain easy to use, see, and find fish,” says Tietz.
Ease of use
This level of intuitive control starts with the HELIX 9 and 10’s user-friendly operating system called REFLEX Interface, X-Press Menu System keypad control, and three programmable shortcut buttons to quickly recall your favorite screen views. REFLEX recalls much of the same navigation as previous Humminbird units, making learning HELIX a simple transition for former Humminbird users.
Another cool feature of both HELIX 9 and 10 is a completely redesigned cable management system that allows anglers to connect all cables (including networking Ethernet) in one fell swoop, and secure them with an easy-to-use clamp mechanism. This quick-release cable system also makes removing your HELIX 9 or 10 at the end of the day for safe-keeping a breeze.
Entrance into the world of user-generated mapping starts at $699.99 retail with the HELIX 9 SONAR GPS.
DIY mapping
Besides screen brightness, a new REFLEX user interface and more, the most significant selling feature of HELIX 9 and 10 is AutoChart Live, which allows anglers to build their own maps in real-time right on the screen, no PC, server or Cloud required. This puts unrivalled power in angler hands to navigate, study and fish both uncharted waters and dial in “spot on the spot” locations on waters that have been mapped.
Manitoba-based “Uncut Angling” TV host Aaron Wiebe is bullish on AutoChart Live. “In my opinion, AutoChart Live is every bit as important as Side Imaging™. What it can teach you about waters and fish location is unreal. And it’s immediately usable by beginners. Turn it on and go. Put it this way, I went from almost no digital maps at all to detailed charts I made myself that show every hump, every drop-off in the lake. Before this there was nothing, now I have everything. It was a zero to hero moment.”
AutoChart Live is becoming a staple with anglers of all stripes — from anglers in remote locations, those fishing lakes that simply haven’t been surveyed, and tournament anglers who require the utmost in chart detail for a competitive edge. Users praise the immediacy of it, how maps literally appear right in front of your eyes, no PC conversion or uploads required. And because the data is processed right on the HELIX, data is kept private, ensuring your hard-earned information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. Share if you’d like with a friend, but it’s your choice. Plus, once your map is created, you can use LakeMaster’s three patented features of Depth Highlight, Shallow Water Highlight and Water Level Offset, as well follow or offset a contour via Minn Kota iPilot Link-enabled trolling motors.
And that’s only part of the cartography power HELIX 9 and 10 units offer. Dual SD card slots also allow anglers to utilize Humminbird LakeMaster PLUS map cards, which not only provide 1-foot HD contours for many lakes and use of LakeMaster’s three patented features, but also three layers of satellite aerial image overlay. Dual card slots also make saving screenshots, sonar recordings and nearly limitless waypoints, tracks and routes a breeze.
Then, just when anglers thought new HELIX 9, 10 and 12 CHIRP units couldn’t get any better, Humminbird issued some big news at this year’s Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A free HELIX 9 and 10 software upgrade now allows compatibility with Humminbird’s SD card-based predictive fish patterning software called SmartStrike, once limited Humminbird ONIX units.
“When I first heard about SmartStrike I had no idea how it could possibly work, but then I started using it and my mind was blown. We all know the importance of pattern fishing—at it’s most basic—location plus presentation. As far as determining location, this thing works and simplifies pre-fishing, especially on larger waters. When you establish a hot fishing pattern – say pitching Jigging Raps or plastics along a specific contour – SmartStrike shows you everywhere on the lake that has the same depth, structure, and other attributes, so you can take that pattern across the lake and catch more fish,” says Al Lindner.
The customer wins
Fact is, from the introduction of HELIX 5 in 2014, Humminbird has built a fish-finder family that levels the playing field. In an industry that has priced many anglers out of cutting-edge fishing electronics, the customer wins with HELIX. In a world where the price of an average fishing boat is well into five figures, $699.99 to $1499.99 is not an unreasonable amount to spend for a nine- or 10-inch ultra-bright screen with a host of fish-finding tools, including SwitchFire SONAR, Side Imaging, Down Imaging, AutoChart Live, and compatibility with other leading-edge technologies.
Now consider that pro anglers on BASS, FLW, and NWT circuits like Aaron Martens, Bobby Lane, Jr., and Kevin Van Dam are using the exact same units as they compete at the very top of the fishing game. Yes, HELIX 9 and 10 units are that good. The bottom line? Anglers now have access to pro-level features at a realistic price. And you can take that to the bank, pun intended.
Jan 29
2016 Mississippi Bass Federation State Championship April 1 & 2, 2016
2016 Mississippi Bass Federation State Championship
April 1 & 2, 2016
Biloxi Back Bay – Pascagoula River D’Iberville MS
Sponsored by The City of D’Iberville
Host Hotel – Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort – 9380 Central Ave, D’Iberville MS 39540
Reservations – call Rita Blenman Green at 1-228-392-1889 ext 1136 or 1137. Must be confirmed by March 22, 2016. Room rates for March 29, 30 & 31, 2016 $69.00 + 12% tax. April 1, 2016 $179.00 + 12% tax. www.ScarletPearlCasino.com.
Rosters – Mailed to Terry Arnsdorff 295 Co Rd 4701 Meridian MS 39301 or Edwin Gregory 60063 Seminole Rd Smithville MS 38870 must be received by March 12th 2016. We will have a meeting on March 6, 2016 in D’Iberville MS, 11:00 am for those whose want to turn in their paperwork – meeting not mandatory. Include roster, insurance sheet, motel listing, ads & money in packages. You may still send as many fisherman as you can. Must be in pairs of two.
$120.00 per boater. $70.00 per co angler. $100.00 in ad book sales per club.
PAYOUT – WE WILL BE PAYING 1ST THRU 6TH PLACES BOATER AND 1ST THRU 6TH PLACES CO-ANGLER. 7TH THRU 12TH PLACES BOATER AND CO-ANGLER DEPENDING ON PARTICIPATION.
Team Competition – You split your own rosters in teams of up to six. One team per form. No limit on teams per club. 1st , 2nd, 3rd, place teams awarded with money and plaques.
2016 MS STATE TEAM (top six boaters and top six co-anglers plus clubs can send 2 from their club if their club participates in the state tournament) FROM THE MS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AT D’IBERVILLE MS WILL REPRESENT MS AT THE DIST 4 NATIONAL SEMI FINALS ON LAKE NEELY HENRY IN GADSDEN AL ON OCTOBER 15-16, 2016.
Cut off begins at midnight March 20, 2016 until midnight March 29, 2016.
Biloxi Back Bay – Pascagoula River
Ranger Cup – This is a Ranger Cup Event – All Ranger Boat owners get signed up today at www.rangercup.com.
Question please contact your club president or
Edwin Gregory Buddy French
President Tournament Director
662-315-4401 601-954-1693
Terry Arnsdorff Angie Gregory
Secretary 662-315-3251
601-479-0779