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LEHEW LEADS NATIONAL GUARD JUNIOR
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Seventy anglers representing
35 states fishing for a share of $42,000 in scholarships and
grants
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (August 4, 2007)
Shane Lehew, 18, of Charlotte, N.C., and Dylan Peppers, 13, of
Good Hope, Ga., are leading the National Guard Junior World Championship
after one day of competition on Lake Hamilton. Held in conjunction
with the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup on nearby Lake Ouachita,
the National Guard Junior World Championship will award $42,000
in scholarships and youth-program grants to the top six competitors
in the 11 to 14 age bracket and top six competitors in the 15
to 18 age bracket.
Lehew, from The Bass Federation's Southern division,
is leading the 15 to 18 age group with four bass weighing 8 pounds,
14 ounces. He fished Saturday with Team A&W pro Shad Schenck
of Waynetown, Ind.
"I started off the day really slow,"
Lehew said. "I caught five or six little fish early in the
morning using topwater baits. Later in the day we fished shallow
water using a shaky-head jig around docks and brush piles.
"Fishing with Shad was great. All of the pro
anglers are great, and I am so happy they took the time to do
this. I wish they had this around when I was younger. It was
a great experience."
The top six anglers in the 15 to 18 age group who
will continue competition Sunday are Joseph Morse of Woodbury
Heights, N.J. (two fish, 4-11); Sterling Pfundheller of Phoenix,
Ariz. (two fish, 4-8); Cody Harris of Grand Blanc, Mich. (one
fish, 3-6); Tyler Towers of Star City, Ark. (three fish, 2-12)
and Nick Sampson of Gorham, Maine (two fish, 2-0).
Peppers, who also represents the TBF's Southern
division, is leading the 11 to 14 age bracket with two bass weighing
3 pounds, 14 ounces. He fished Saturday with Eagle Claw pro Chris
Elliott of Beaufort, N.C.
"We started off the day in shallow water near
grass beds and then we went to deep water," Peppers said.
"I caught three keepers around 8 a.m. Fishing was great
with Chris. He let us go where we wanted to go and gave us great
tips."
The top six anglers in the 11 to 14 age group are
Daniel Ruedi of Champaign, Ill. (one fish, 3-11); Zach Whitten
of Oceana, W.Va. (two fish, 2-12); Connor Mendenhall of Omaha,
Neb. (one fish, 1-8); Ryan Taylor of Canyon Lake, Ca. (one fish,
0-14); and Robert Ramasci of Wakefield, Ma. (one fish, 0-6).
The junior anglers are paired with an FLW Tour
pro for competition on Lake Hamilton. There are three anglers
to a boat: a junior angler from each age group plus an FLW Tour
pro who assists the junior anglers but does not fish. The two
junior anglers share control of the boat for the day but compete
in their respective age groups. Weights will be zeroed Sunday
as the top six anglers in the 11 to 14 age bracket and the top
six anglers in the 15 to 18 age bracket continue competition,
with the winners determined by the heaviest catch from that day.
Takeoff will be held at Fish Hatchery Ramp located
at 350 Fish Hatchery Road in Hot Springs beginning at 6:30 Sunday
morning and the weigh-in is 3:30 p.m. on the main Forrest Wood
Cup stage in Summit Arena located at 134 Convention Blvd. in
Hot Springs.
Designed to highlight the best up-and-coming bass
fishing talent in the country, the National Guard Junior World
Championship also provides national recognition for the positive
activities pursued by America's youth.
First-place finishers in each age bracket will
receive a $5,000 scholarship in addition to a sponsor merchandise
package. Second-place finishers will receive $3,000 scholarships
plus sponsor packages. Third-place finishers will receive $2,500
scholarships plus sponsor packages. Fourth-place finishers will
receive $2,000 scholarships plus sponsor packages. Fifth-place
finishers will receive $1,500 scholarships plus sponsor packages.
Sixth-place finishers will receive $1,000 scholarships plus sponsor
packages.
Additionally, FLW Outdoors, on behalf of the National
Guard, will award $1,000 to each of the state TBF chapters represented
by the six finalists in each age bracket. This money, totaling
$12,000, will benefit each chapter's youth program.
For more information about TBF Junior Angler programs,
contact your state's TBF chapter. A list of chapters can be found
at www.bassfederation.com. For more information about FLW Outdoors,
the Forrest Wood Cup and the National Guard Junior World Championship,
visit www.flwoutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. A complete
list of youth anglers competing in the Junior World Championship
is posted at www.flwoutdoors.com.
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