BENTON, Ky. – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the schedule, rules, payouts and entry dates for the 2021 season of High School Fishing along with scholarship and advancement opportunities to compete in the 2021 Toyota Series Championship. The top 10 percent of teams in each High School Fishing tournament will advance to the High School Fishing National Championship, featuring national television coverage on the Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network.
- Both members of the winning team at the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship advance to the 2021 Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers and fish for the top prize of a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard, provided they are at least 16 years of age as of Oct. 28, 2021.
- Both members of the winning team at the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship receive a $5,000 scholarship to the school of their choice.
- All participating teams automatically qualify for the High School Fishing World Finals run by The Bass Federation (TBF) and held simultaneously with the National Championship to compete for more than $3 million in scholarships and prizes.
Registration for the 2021 season of MLF High School Fishing opens November 5. Teams can register at FLWFishing.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. There is no entry fee for high school anglers to compete in any MLF or TBF High School Fishing tournament, however both competing anglers must be a member of the Student Angler Federation (SAF). The $25 SAF membership fee includes membership to both MLF and The TBF for eligibility to fish any SAF tournament, including MLF High School Fishing Opens, TBF State Championships and TBF Challenge tournaments.
SAF members receive live weigh-in coverage at every MLF High School Fishing Open, a profile on FLWFishing.com to track tournament stats and a digital subscription to MLF Bass Fishing magazine, as well as eligibility to Marshal in the Pro Circuit. Membership can be purchased at FLWFishing.com or HighSchoolFishing.org.
MLF High School Fishing tournaments are two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12, and are open to any SAF-affiliated high school club in the United States. The top 10-percent of each MLF High School Fishing Open presented by Favorite Fishing, TBF State Championship and TBF Challenge tournament held prior to June 14, 2021, will advance to the 2021 High School Fishing National Championship, held in conjunction with the High School Fishing World Finals June 30-July 3 on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina. Launched by TBF in 2010, the Final where student anglers compete for more than $3 million in scholarships and prizes.
The majority of MLF High School Fishing tournaments are held on Saturdays and are preceded by an College Fishing tournament the day prior. This provides students and parents the opportunity to network with prospective college teams and coaches during Friday registrations, immediately following college weigh-ins, to facilitate decision-making on future collegiate fishing careers.
2021 MLF High School Fishing Schedule:
·Sunday, Jan 31 Shasta: Bridge Bay Resort | Redding, CA
·Saturday, Feb 13 Harris Chain: Venetian Gardens - Ski Beach | Leesburg, FL
·Saturday, Mar 27 Table Rock : Table Rock State Park Marina | Branson, MO
·Saturday, Apr 17 Lake Somerville: Lake Somerville Marina | Brenham, TX
·Saturday, Apr 24 Lake Guntersville: Lake Guntersville State Park | Guntersville, AL
·Saturday, May 1 Smith Mountain Lake: Parkway Marina | Huddleston, VA
·Sunday, May 16 California Delta: Big Break Marina | Oakley, CA
·Saturday, Jun 5 Potomac River: Smallwood State Park | Marbury, MD
·Saturday, Jun 12 Lake of the Pines: Lakeside Park | Jefferson, TX
·Saturday, Jul 31 MS River-La Crosse: W. Copeland & Clinton | La Crosse, WI
·Saturday, Aug 21 Detroit River: Elizabeth Park Marina | Trenton, MI
·Sunday, Sep 26 Clear Lake: Redbud Park | Clearlake, CA
·Saturday, Oct 2 Lake Dardanelle: Lake Dardanelle State Park | Russellville, AR
·Saturday, Oct 16 Lake of the Ozarks: Public Beach #2 | Osage Beach, MO
·Saturday, Oct 23 Lake Chickamauga: Dayton Boat Dock | Dayton, TN
2021 High School Fishing National Championship & World Finals
·June 30-July 3 Lake Hartwell: Green Pond Landing | Anderson, SC