Prestigious High School Fishing National Championship to Offer Millions in Scholarships and Prizes
Explore La Crosse is excited to announce that the premier High School Fishing event in the world is slated to be held next week, June 21-24, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on the Mississippi River. The 14th 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 Bass Federation (TBF) Student Angler Federation (SAF).
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. The 2023 High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship are estimated to bring roughly 3,000 people connected to La Crosse, Wisconsin, for this week-long event.
Student anglers are allowed to launch from any ramp in Pool No. 8 each day at 5:30 a.m. CT, although the main launch location will be Veterans Freedom Park, located at 1 Clinton St. in La Crosse. Weigh-ins will be held at Copeland Park, located at 1130 Copeland Park Drive, 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.
