This section is copied from the KBF Tournament Rules.  Rule # 5

5. BUYING A DIVISIONAL TOURNAMENT AND TOURNAMENT POINTS:

There are a total of 6 Divisions hosting 4 Tournaments per Division for a total of 24 Tournaments.

Methods to qualify for the State Championship, Angler of the Year,

& Divisional Winners are listed below.

Buying of the single Divisional Tournament must be done at least 5 days prior to the tournament date. The Tournament Director for that tournament must have your cash money in his hand to be included in the payouts or your buy in won’t count.

At all 24 Divisional Tournaments 1st and 2nd place in points due to total fish weights in both the Angler and Co-Angler divisions will qualify for the State Championship. If the 1st and 2nd place finishers in both Angler and Co-Angler have already qualified we will move down the list to the next Angler or Co-Angler that hasn’t qualified yet.
Anglers and Co-Anglers who have not qualified at one of the Divisional Tournaments and has fished in a total of 4 Divisional Tournaments derived from any of the 24 Divisional Tournaments available for a total 4, one of which may be Bought will be eligible to fish in the State Championship.

Division 1st Place Winners Angler And Co-Angler: At the end of the year the overall 1st place winners for each Division in both the Angler and Co-Angler categories are determined by fishing any or all 4 tournaments within that Division and finishing with the most points accumulated by fish weights for that Division only. (A Tournament that is bought and not fished will not be eligible for points toward the Divisional 1st Place winners).

Angler and Co-Angler of the Year Tournament: This will be held in conjunction with the State Championship. There will be a total of 16 Anglers and 16 Co-Anglers eligible to fish this tournament. To qualify for this tournament the KBF takes the 1st place finisher in points from each of the 6 divisions in both the Angler and Co-Angler divisions. In addition the top 10 Anglers and Co-Anglers with the overall point totals for the year accumulated from all Divisions will also be eligible. The 10 Anglers and Co-anglers does not include the 1st place divisional Anglers and Co-Anglers winners already eligible. You may fish as many of the 24 Divisional Tournaments available and acquire points from each one that will count towards your total points for the year. (Points from your Top 4 tournaments will be added together to get your best score) (A Tournament that is bought and not fished will not accumulate any points towards the top 16 eligible for Angler or Co-Angler of the year).

Methods to qualify for the TBF National Semi-Final

From the KBF State Tournament

 Primary Method

 The top 12, using the KBF Boater / Co-Angler formula, will be eligible for what was formally called our State Team for our Sponsor Program. In addition too, and including the top 12, the number of participants throughout the year at all of the Divisional Qualifiers and State Tournament will be totaled together. 10% of that number will be eligible to attend the TBF Semi-Finals. The same Boater / Co-Angler formula will be used to select that number and your angler of the year points will determine your pairing position. We have to send an equal number of Boaters and Co-Anglers so depending on your Angler of the Year points some Boaters may have to go as Co-Anglers just like we have been doing on the State Team. The KBF will pay for the entry fee to the Semi Finals for all participants who qualify using this format. (In 2015 we had 384 total entries. Rounded up we would have sent 40 fisherman to the Semi Final, 20 Boaters and 20 Non-Boaters).

Each Club can send their Top Sticks to the TBF Nationals Semi-Finals

If you are a member of a KBF Club in good standing, said club may send 2 members who haven’t qualified in one of the Primary ways to qualify.

These members must have at least 301 Angler of The Year Points and fish in the State Championship.

One of these will be the Boater and the other the Co-Angler and both must arrive at the TBF Semi Finals together.

These participants will be determined by the clubs administrators, and their names MUST be submitted to the KBF 2 days after the State Championship to be added to the Semi Final tournament roster .  These participants must pay their own entry fee of $100 for Co-Angler and $200 for Boater into the TBF Semi Finals. These members will be eligible to move on to the TBF Nationals just like the other members that qualified the Primary way.

The Semi-Finals and beyond are run by TBF rules.

2016 will be the last year that KBF members will compete for a position on the State Team

The new format will allow more members to attend the newly organized TBF National Semi Finals

Click the Red Link to view the new format:     TBF Semi Finals Footprint 

Watch here for KBF Board guidelines for KBF members to advance on. The KBF Board of Directors are working on the Guidelines that will be posted asap.

The Bass Federation, Inc. (TBF) Announces Massive Expansion and Format Change To Its Adult Program For The First Time Since 1990

All New TBF National Semi Final Events

Ponca City, Ok. (October 23, 2015) – The Bass Federation (TBF) announced today that it is expanding the adult qualifying program from seven TBF division championships to a TBF National Semi-Finals Program comprised of more than 20 “close-to-home” events.

“It is time,” was the theme heard throughout the 2015 state presidents’ conferences, which were held in conjunction with the Forrest Wood Cup in August in Hot Springs, Ark.

The 2016 season will mark the final year the long-established TBF framework of seven division championships will serve as the process by which anglers qualify nationwide into the biggest events with the largest prizes in all of competitive fishing. It will be replaced by a massive expansion of more than 20 TBF National Semi-Final events. Both programs (the division championships and the new National Semi-Final events) will run concurrently for the 2016 transition year so that no one is left out.

The basic structure of TBF’s current adult program was voted into place in 1990 by the state federation presidents. It has served the federation well for 25 years. The first hurdle in making such a major change is getting all state presidents to agree on a basic outline and then working through all the details to roll it out. When the presidents work through this, it’s a pretty good vetting system and the new concept outline was voted into place unanimously by all states attending TBF’s 2015 annual meetings.

The new TBF National Semi-Finals Program will make competing much more cost effective and much more rewarding financially, with travel costs way down and cash payout direct to the individual anglers increased. No longer will TBF members have to travel across the nation to attempt to qualify for the Federation National Championship, or to earn one of 14 TBF member qualifying spots into the BFL All-American or to qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup and the FLW Tour with all entry fees paid, use of a custom wrapped Ranger boat all year and a chance of a lifetime to “Live The Dream.”

“Obviously as you will see we are not cutting anything, we are drastically expanding something that has been very successful and that decision was not taken lightly,” said Robert Cartlidge, TBF president and CEO. “Of course, the states have made improvements over the years to the program, such as the national insurance program started in 1991, the TBF\FLW Living The Dream program, numerous member discounts, doubling the number of anglers from each state advancing to the Federation National Championship and advancing beyond the Federation National Championship in our partnership in fishing with FLW in 2006, but this is the first major revamp and expansion of the basic format.”

Highlights of the new program include:

• All National Semi-Final events will take place in two- and three-state groups, so travel will only be “next door”. This means not only is travel costs greatly reduced and payouts greatly increased but the new program will host a National Semi-Final event in every market segment of North America.
• Anglers want to fish for some money, so that will be a huge added feature.

• This program greatly reduces the amount of time required to qualify and advance.

• In a giant new club benefit for every individual TBF affiliated club in good standing with their state, they will have the ability to qualify their top angler(s) direct from their club to a TBF National Semi-Final.

• Larger membership states will qualify more anglers to a National Semi-Final because they have more members competing. Each state federation will send a minimum of 12 anglers to a National Semi Finals, there is no maximum based on membership participation and growth.

• MORE anglers from each state will also advance to the TBF Federation National Championship. For instance at the 2017 Federation National Championship at least 2 boaters and 2 co-anglers from each state. Depending on participation numbers, some states may advance even MORE.

• State Pride – The program will continue a new “State vs State Competition” piece within each National Semi-Final where a percentage of top qualifying anglers will represent their home state with significant prizes and bragging rights for the state who wins their National Semi- Final.

• All payouts will increase significantly across the board however a major emphasis and rewards are being added for those members qualifying as a co-angler in each National Semi-Final and in the Federation National Championship.

• Full details and outlines will go out to the state Federation Presidents & membership in coming days and weeks and be posted to bassfederation.com as the new program is rolled out.

“TBF as the oldest and largest organized grassroots fishing, youth and conservation group at the grassroots level has been laser-focused on the High School Fishing program since we founded that movement nationwide in 2007,” Cartlidge continued. “The High School program is well established and continues to grow annually by leaps and bounds. It’s time for us to turn the same laser focus we used to found and develop the wildly successful National High School program toward our adult program, and we are doing exactly that.”

“Many of our programs are widely imitated in the industry, in part, because they are so successful, so we do recognize this change will affect a lot of folks,” Cartlidge added. “I’m sure this new program the presidents have built will be imitated as well, and change will spread. As an industry leader in grassroots fishing, we have a responsibility to look ahead to the next 25 years, recognize the world is a different place than it was in 1990 and build a program that fits today lifestyles and economy. Most federation members do not want to fish professionally full time but they all would like the chance to try their skills against other members, have some fun, earn their share of a nice prize pool and possibly advance to fish the biggest events in all of fishing once in their lifetime. This program provides ever club members with that chance.”

About The Bass Federation

The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing and proudly “partners in fishing” with FLW. TBF is a member of the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and the only 100% member-owned national fishing organization. TBF is the largest and oldest organized grassroots fishing, youth and conservation organization in North America. TBF-affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 fishing, youth and conservation events each year. The Federation has provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 45 years. For more information about TBF visit Bassfederation.com or look for bassfederation on Facebook.

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