College bound high school seniors who are into competitive duck calling can earn scholarships in the Chick and Sophie Major Scholarship Duck Calling Contest on Nov. 27 in Stuttgart.
The scholarship honors Chick and Sophie Major, who were legends in the duck hunting world. Established in 1974, the scholarship has bestowed $84,050 to high school seniors at 35 schools in 13 states.
The duck-calling contest is part of the World Championship Duck Calling Contest and is open to high school seniors who will graduate the following year.
In recent years the contest has awarded $4,250 in scholarships. First place will receive $2,000 and second place will receive $1,000. Third and fourth places will receive $750 and $500, respectively.
Winners also will receive a jacket patch, a Chick Major print and other prizes.
Ben Perez of Burlington, N.C., took first place last year, followed by T.C. Bolding of Guthrie, Okla., Jon Mark Horton of Luxora and Carter Ward of Stuttgart.
There is no entry fee. Each participant must provide identification and a high school transcript, as well as documentation from his school that he is scheduled to graduate in 2016.
Funding for the scholarship comes through donations and fundraising events held throughout the year, and from the purchase of Chick Major numbered prints.
More information is available by calling the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce at (870) 673-1602.
BASS ATTENDANCE RECORD
With two tournaments left on the schedule, 142,000 bass fishing fans broke the Bassmaster total attendance record Aug. 13-16 at Chesapeake Bay.
The previous season record was 128,600, but it took all of the Elite Series events to reach that number, said Bruce Akin, BASS chief executive officer.
More than 33,000 attended the season opener on the Sabine River, and nearly 34,000 attended the fifth stop on the St. Lawrence River at Waddington, N.Y.
Angie Thompson of Little Rock, BASS vice president of events and sponsorship activation, said that synergy with host communities is the key to attracting fans to Bassmaster tournaments.
The weigh-ins are exciting, but the festival atmosphere of the Elite Series tournaments draws a greater variety of people besides hard-core fishing fans.
HIGH SCHOOL ANGLERS
As at Bassmaster tournaments, the outdoor expo is a major attraction of FLW Tour events, and especially so at the Forrest Wood Cup.
This year's expo took up most of the Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs, which was filled with vendors selling boats, motors, electronics and every kind of fishing tackle imaginable.
The Lake Hamilton High School bass fishing team had a booth, as well. The Bassin' Wolves were spreading the gospel of high school bass fishing and raising money for their fishing activities. To that end they sold some mighty fine looking T-shirts and ball caps. We almost sprung for one of those caps, but it would have only joined the hundred or so other caps we have. After all, a Central High Tiger wears only black and gold.
Brian Hopkins, Lake Hamilton's head junior high football coach and track coach, also sponsors the Lake Hamilton Wolves fishing team. He said 35 students participated in the club's inaugural year in 2012. That number increased to 50 in 2013 and now stands at 82 boys and girls in grades 6-12.
They host two or three events in the spring, and the Bassin' Wolves fish other high school tournaments in the fall, as well as the high school state tournament. In all, they fish about eight to 10 tournaments a year.
"This program is a wonderful opportunity for our students to enjoy the outdoors, spend time with dads, moms, grandparents or whoever their boat captain is doing a sport they can enjoy for a lifetime," Hopkins said.
Several local businesses contribute financially, and several national sponsors donate products or provide deep discounts, Hopkins added.
"It is one of the largest programs in our school, and we have great support from our school administrators and the community," Hopkins said.
BAYOU METO CLEANUP
George Cochran and Roger Milligan will hold the annual Bayou Meto WMA cleanup from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Participants will meet at the Mulberry Access at Bayou Meto WMA. They will organize into groups of two and three and spend the morning picking up trash from the access areas, parking lots and roads.
Those who bring boats also will pick up trash from the Big Ditch. Trash bags will be provided.
Afterward there will be a fish fry at Cochran's cabin.
More information and directions are available by calling Cochran at (501) 282- 5344 or Milligan at (870) 377-2160.
Sports on 08/27/2015