Two teams travelled to La Crosse, Wisconsin to take on the mighty Mississippi River. The World and National finals tournament was being put on by the Student Angler Federation (SAF) in conjunction with The Bass Federation (TBF) and Fishing League Worldwide (FLW). This was a weeklong event (June 20 – 27, 2020) that included 2-1/2 days of official practice along with guaranteed three days of competition with a 4th day of competition if making the cut for World Finals.

The tournament waters were pools 7, 8, & 9 of the upper Mississippi River which is approximately 67 miles along the main river with many more miles of cuts and sloughs and many 1000’s of acres of backwater areas. The river is a very diverse fishery with many species of gamefish and many different techniques that can be used to catch ’em. Our two teams focused on pools 7 & 8. The river was somewhat low adding to already difficult navigating with many obstacles to avoid.

The tournament was setup in a unique format and was essentially two tournaments in one as noted in below flowchart. The tournament limit each day was 3 fish measuring atleast 14″ long. There will be a TV show being aired later this summer on the Pursuit Channel highlighting the tournament.

Both teams represented the Hartley’s Hawgs very well and created some memories that will last a lifetime. The boys didn’t come away with any trophies or scholarships but learned a lot about fishing on a diverse river system. It was quite an adventure. Great job Nathan and Tristan and Braden and Grant!

Below are some links with additional information about the event as well as results:

Pre and Post Tournament Pictures
  • Before day 1 launch
  • Ready to launch – Day 1
  • Locking to pool 7
  • Locking back to pool 8
  • Day 2 fog delay – nap time
  • At the office – Day 3
  • Day 1 Bag
  • Day 2 Bag
  • Day 3 Bag
Tourney Pictures

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