Young Wins 2009 TWRA Mid-South Junior Fishing Rodeo
By Larry Rea

Reed Young of Memphis caught 42 catfish to blow away the field of 250-plus young anglers (ages 6-12) to claim the 2009 Grand Championship at the annual Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Mid-South Junior Fishing Rodeo on June 6 at Johnson Road Lake in Germantown.

The catch is the most in the rodeo’s nine-year history.
For his effort, Reed and his immediate family earned a three-day, two-night vacation; a bicycle and a fishing rod.
Rodeo divisional winners:

Boys 6-8 – Points, Christopher Wells, Collierville, 50 points; Big fish, Nakota Willis, Memphis (5 pounds).

Girls 6-8 – Points, Iris Brashear, Germantown, 125 points; Big fish, Rachel Dawson, Memphis (3.90 pounds).

Boys 9-12 – Points, Wyatt Young. Bartlett, 180 points; Big fish, Nick Rocha, Germantown (6 ½ pounds).

Girls 9-12 – Points, Kaitlyn McKinley, Bartlett, 100 points; Big fish, Allison Sledge, Memphis (4.40 pounds).

Big bass – Remington Ballard, Sharon, Tenn. (0.80 pounds)
Reed has fished in the rodeo, which is an off-shoot of the old Mid-South Junior Fishing Rodeo hosted for more than 50 years by The Commercial Appeal, since he was 7 and has won prizes each year.

“We fished the same spot last year,” said Reed’s dad, Matt.

“I can only suggest to kids and parents that if they are looking for a large stringer that they always have that extra rod ready and baited.”

Thanks to Memphis realtor Jackie Welch, who donated the funds, Darron Johnson of Memphis won a life-time hunting and fishing license. All Tennessee participants were eligible to win this prize with the winner being drawn from the registration forms.

Young ended up with 210 points (5 points for each catfish). He and his immediate family earned a trip to Blue Bank Resort on Reelfoot Lake courtesy of resort owner Mike Hayes, a member of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission.

The rodeo was sponsored by Memphis, Light, Gas & Water and hosted by the Germantown Parks and Recreation Department with additional sponsorship from the TWRA and Wal-Mart.

Carl Graham, who recently moved from Collierville to Corinth, Miss., donated one of his Hammer Rods to the rodeo’s grand champion collection. Bill Dance, a rodeo regular, helped distribute prizes. Every competitor left with a prize.

Dave Rizzuto, Region 1 fisheries biologist for the TWRA, said the park’s lake was stocked with about 2,400 pounds of catchable-size catfish.

Prizes were awarded to the youth in each age group (6-8 or 9-12) with the most points (point total were assigned to each species of fish and the child with the most points was the winner).

For additional information contact the TWRA Region 1 office in Jackson at (800) 372-3928 or the Germantown Parks and Recreation at 757-7375.

Legends of the Outdoors National Hall of Fame Banquet August 22

The 2009 Legends of the Outdoors National Hall of Fame induction banquet is scheduled for Aug. 22, 2009 at the Sheraton Music City in Nashville, Tennessee. Garry Mason, founder and executive director of the Hall of Fame, announced the inductees for 2009 include: Rob Keck, Emily Shaffer, Jim Crumley, Eddie Salter, Terry Redlin, Toxey Haas and Herb Parsons, posthumously. In addition, the National Wild Turkey Federation will receive a special award at this year’s banquet.

Brenda Valentine, the First Lady of Hunting, will be the master of ceremonies for this year’s event. Valentine was the first woman inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors National Hall of Fame and is a great ambassador for outdoor sports, helping other women and children get more involved with hunting and outdoor recreation.

The guest of honor will be Mr. B.A.S.S., Ray Scott, who is a 2003 Legends inductee and has attended and participated in several of the Legends events.

Dana Bowman, will be one of the guest speakers. Bowman is a double amputee who lost both legs in a tragic parachuting accident as a member of the U.S. Army’s elite parachute team, the Golden Knights. He is the only double amputee who has re-enlisted in the Army.

Mason emphasizes the fact the Legends of the Outdoors National Hall of Fame Induction Banquet is open to the public, giving individuals the opportunity to meet many current and former inductees, a host of outdoor and country music celebrities as well as wiTenn.essing some of these outdoor icons being honored by their peers.

For more information, visit www.legendsoftheoutdoors.com or contact Garry Mason at (731) 539-0171 (office) or (731) 693-7770 (cell).

Wolf River QU Chapter 5th Busting Clays Shoot Aug. 29 @ Willows

The Wolf River Chapter #605 of Quail Unlimited will host the Fifth “Busting Clays for Quail” sporting clays shoot at The Willows Sporting Clays and Hunting Center behind the Harrah’s Casino on August 29, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Prizes for this year’s shoot include shotguns, shotgun shells, quail hunts, Harrah`s weekend packages, and more. The main event will be scored using Lewis Class rules. Side games, options, door prizes, and silent auctions will also be available.

Quail Unlimited is a national conservation organization founded in 1981 to combat the problem of dwindling quail populations as a result of declining habitat. In Tennessee alone, Quail Unlimited has spent over $1.7 million in habitat expenditures through chapters, partners and value of seed distributions. The Wolf River Chapter of Quail Unlimited uses proceeds from its fundraising to support local habitat projects benefiting quail and other grassland species. The chapter is also involved in information and education, working with local landowners and area youth.
For more information on the event, please contact Glenn Key at (901) -871-4630 or visit our website at www.wolfriverqu.org.

Tennessee Holds Third Junior Olympic State Championships

PARIS, Tenn. — The Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) in cooperation with the Henry County Youth Shooting Sports Association and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) hosted the third annual Tennessee Junior Olympic State Championships at the Holly Fork Shooting Complex located in Paris, Tennessee, June 18 through June 21. One hundred and thirty athletes from across Tennessee competed for Olympic medals in International Skeet and Wobble Trap.

Athletes reaching the qualifying score of 105 out of 125 targets broken in either discipline automatically receive an invitation to compete in the National Shotgun Junior Olympic Championships (NSJOC). Additionally, the first place teams from both shooting disciplines (i.e., International Skeet and Wobble Trap) receive invitations to the NSJOC. The National Shotgun Junior Olympic Championships will take place in Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 25 through August 1, 2009.

In the International Skeet Men’s Division, Adam Ozier, Franklin, Tenn., won the Olympic Gold with a score of 107 out of 125, followed by Colin King, Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., winning Silver, and Hayden Stewart, Columbia, Tenn., winning the Bronze. In the International Skeet Women’s division, Lacey Lane, McKenzie, Tenn., won the Olympic Gold Medal with a score of 57 out of 125, followed by Brooke Williams, Paris, Tenn., winning the silver.

In the Wobble Trap Men’s Division, Sam Bradshaw, Dyersburg, Tenn., won the Olympic Gold with a score of 119 out of 125, followed by Jacob McBride, Hornbeak, Tenn. winning Silver, and Blake Triplett, Puryear, Tenn., winning Bronze. In the Wobble Trap Women’s Division, Holly Hodge, Paris, Tenn., won the Gold with 106 out of 125, followed by Amanda Server, Crossville, Tenn., winning the Silver, and Lanae Bess, Morrison, Tenn. winning the Bronze.

Thirty-two athletes received automatic invitations to the National Junior Olympic Championships by posting a score of 105 or better in their shooting discipline. Additionally, the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program (TN.SCTP) acknowledged the top three teams in each discipline and awarded trophies to the first and second teams. Winning first place in International Skeet was “3 @ 8 Red” from Columbia, Tenn. with a 317. The second place team was also from Columbia, Tenn., the “3 @ 8 Blue” with a 283, and from Paris Tenn., winning third was the “Henry County No Fly Zone” with a 246.

Winning first place in Wobble Trap was “McKenzie Caba Crushers” from McKenzie, Tenn. with a 335. The second place team was also from Richland, Tenn., “Richland 1” with a 332, and from Dyersburg, Tenn., placing third was the “Dyer County Trap” with a 328.

At the awards ceremony, in honor of Father’s Day, shoot director Chad Whittenburg, of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, and shoot officials, along with the fathers of the medal winners, presented authentic Junior Olympic medals to the winners. “The feeling of draping an authentic Olympic medal around my daughter’s neck surpasses any gift that I could ever received on Father’s Day,” said Doug Server, father of Amanda Server.

For more news on the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program and the Tennessee Junior Olympics please contact Matt Simcox at (615) 353-1133 ext. 4 or e-mail at msimcox@Tenn.wf.org. You may also visit www.Tenn.sctp.org for a complete list of Tennessee Junior Olympic Championship results.

Third Carl Perkins Bass Class October 9-10 At Perryville

The Carl Perkins Bass Classic will be held October 9-10 at Perryville Marina on the Tennessee River. The event is held to benefit the Exchange Club-Carl Perkins Center For The Prevention of Child Abuse in Decatur County, Tennessee.
Entry fee is $160 per boat prior to October 1 and includes big fish pot. Late registration fee is $185.

Sign-in on the day of the event begins at 4 a.m., blast-off at 6:30 a.m. and check-in at 3:30 p.m.

There will be $21,000 in cash guaranteed, with first earning $5,000. Likewise there will be other prizes awarded.
In addition a banquet and auction will be held the Thursday night before the tourney.

There will also be several other family events slated during the tournament such as: a free fishing rodeo, dog show, air rifle contest, aquarium, a free concert, lots of prizes and give-aways.

There is a website with additional information at: www.cpbassclassic.com.

For more information, call Ricky L. Wood at (731) 847-6713; or e-mail him at wlrick@netease.net.

Wolf River QU Chapter 5th Busting Clays Shoot Aug. 29 @ Willows

The Wolf River Chapter #605 of Quail Unlimited will host the Fifth “Busting Clays for Quail” sporting clays shoot at The Willows Sporting Clays and Hunting Center behind the Harrah’s Casino on August 29, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Prizes for this year’s shoot include shotguns, shotgun shells, quail hunts, Harrah`s weekend packages, and more. The main event will be scored using Lewis Class rules. Side games, options, door prizes, and silent auctions will also be available.

Quail Unlimited is a national conservation organization founded in 1981 to combat the problem of dwindling quail populations as a result of declining habitat. In Tennessee alone, Quail Unlimited has spent over $1.7 million in habitat expenditures through chapters, partners and value of seed distributions. The Wolf River Chapter of Quail Unlimited uses proceeds from its fundraising to support local habitat projects benefiting quail and other grassland species. The chapter is also involved in information and education, working with local landowners and area youth.
For more information on the event, please contact Glenn Key at (901) -871-4630 or visit our website at www.wolfriverqu.org.

Bellevue Sportsmen’s Outdoor Fest Sept. 12

The first annual Bellevue Sportsmen’s Outdoor Festival will be held at the church from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Sept. 12.
Famed angler Hank Parker will be the featured guest along with other pro-staffers and experts to provide hands-on learning for kids and adults.

Villages of interest will include: archery, fishing, ATV’s, mountain bikes, conservation, and waterfowl/sporting dog. Contests include a fishing rodeo, 3D archery shoot, duck calling contest and more.

For more information visit www.bellevuesportsmen.org.

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