Four area youth win top honors at CJ Strike bass tournament

Fourteen of Idaho's best young bass anglers ages 11 to 18 qualified to compete in the 2007 Idaho Bass Federation Nation Junior State Championship at CJ Strike Reservoir.

Four youth fishermen from Mountain Home were among those earning top honors in their respective divisions.

This was the first year the Idaho BASS Federation limited the entrants and paired them with a pro angler "which added more excitement to the championship," said Pat Rall, Marketing Director for the Idaho Bass Federation Nation.The two age groups, 11-to-14 and 15-to-18, competed for the state title and the privilege to go to the 2008 Junior World Championship in Greenville, South Carolina.

On Saturday the pros and competitors fished as a 3-man team for a practice day and then had a mock weigh-in. The Mountain Home Hawg Hunters Club supplied a barbecue afterwards and T&V Marine of Mountain Home supplied each angler with a tackle pack.

In the 11-to-14 age group, Alex Schneidermann of the Mountain Home Hawg Hunters; Micah Schneidermann of the Mountain Home Hawg Hunters; Jonathan Phillips of the Payette River Bassmasters; and Anthony Avalos of the Boise Bass Busters, finished first through fourth, respectively.

In the 15-to-18 age group, Sammy Chavez-Strickler of the Mountain Home Hawg Hunters; Asa Schneidermann of the Mountain Home Hawg Hunters; R J Holmes of the Boise Bass Busters; Derik Clinton of the Payette River Bassmasters; finished first through forth, respectively, also.

Idaho's new Junior State Champion in the 11-to-14 age group is Alex Schneidermann. Alex brought in a limit of four fish for a total of 6.14 lbs.

The Idaho Junior State Championship title in the 15-to-18 age group is Sammy Chavez-Strickler. Sammy made it to the scales with a four-fish limit that pushed the scales to 7.62 lbs. This will be his third trip to the Bassmaster Junior World Championship in four years, although it will be his first year in the older division.

R. J. Holmes of the Boise Bass Busters won the Interstate All Batteries Big Fish award with a small mouth bass weighing in at 2.42 lbs., which earned him $50 cash and a $25 Cabela's gift card.

Jim Wells, owner of American Northwest Outdoors, was on hand to present Schneidermann with a sponsorship from BassCat Boats with a $100 Gift Certificate and a $25 gift card from Cabela's. Wells also presented Chavez-Strickler with a Sponsorship from Bullet Boats that also included a $100 gift certificate and a $25 Cabela's gift card.

Each first place, second place and the big fish anglers were presented with a plaque, sponsored by the Boise Bass Busters. The second place finishers in each age group also won a $25 gift card from Cabela's.

Full details and results can be found at the Idaho BASS Federation Nation web site at: http://eteamz.active.com/Idahobfn/.