Prestigious High School Fishing National Championship to Offer Millions in Scholarships and Prizes

FLORENCE, Ala. (June 14, 2022) – The premier High School Fishing event in the world is slated to be held next week, June 22-25, in Florence, Alabama on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes. The 13th Annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship dual event is expecting another record field for this event. Teams from most U.S. States and multiple foreign countries, including Canada, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, are expected to compete for a share of the richest prize pool in all of bass fishing – the total amount of scholarships and prizes offered up for grabs at this event is an eye-popping $3 million dollars, according to the TBF Student Angler Federation (SAF).

“On behalf of the Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, we are excited to host the High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship again in 2022,” stated Tyler Dolan, Manager of Group and Sports Sales for the Florence-Lauderdale CVB. “This is an event that our community is always looking forward to. We can’t wait to seethe young anglers on Pickwick Lake and in the Shoals soon.”

The student anglers pay no entry fee to compete in this one-of-a-kind dual event. The World Finals portion is the largest of all national High School events, and where the bulk of the prizes and scholarships are awarded. It is also the most difficult to win. The World Finals is open to any SAF member in the world, so all anglers attending will be competing in the World Finals. At the same time, on the dual-stage, the top 10% of High School teams from all SAF sanctioned events – including Major League Fishing High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open tournaments – in the last year are qualified to compete in the National Championship event, with its own set of prizes and scholarships that will top $500,000. The National Championship qualified teams are entered into both events and have a chance at both prize pools all in one trip.

Each High School team consists of three people to a boat – two High School Fishing anglers and their adult boat captain or coach. Altogether, the 2022 High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship are estimated to bring roughly 3,000 people connected to Florence, Alabama, for this week-long event.

“We are excited to be heading back to Florence, Alabama,” stated The Bass Federation’s President and CEO, Robert Cartlidge. “Florence ‘fits’ this event as it has a great facility, a great fishery, and many things for the families to do while in the area. And the anglers love it.

“From the start, neither the TBF /SAF, nor our partners in fishing at MLF – who were among the first to join our SAF movement and grow it side by side with us – require any entry fees for our regular High School events,
Cartlidge continued. “Nor do we pay cash to kids at High School events. It is always prizes and scholarships. The result has been the explosion we currently see in High School Fishing participation nationwide, and it all adds up to a good wholesome experience for the kids and their families, which is what we all want.”

Student anglers will launch each day at 5:30 a.m. CT from McFarland Park, located at 200 Jim Spain Drive in Florence. Weigh-ins will also be held at McFarland Park, beginning at 1:30 p.m.each day. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event live online through weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at HighSchoolFishing.org.

In addition to the college scholarships and prizes offered, the High School Fishing National Champions will also advance to the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Championship, held Nov. 3-5 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, to compete as co-anglers and a shot at the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit HighSchoolFishing.org. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow High School Fishing on Facebook and on MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.