It was the territory of Bartlett Lake of which Shane Edgar had complete and absolute ownership on May 2. It was the “Shane Domain” at the Arizona Bass Federation 2009 State Junior Angler Championship.

Edgar was the only contestant to bring in a five-fish limit, which gave him a total weight of 7.16 lbs. He had his technique down and he was focused.

Edgar is like a little bird dog pacing back and forth along the edge of the boat to find the perfect spot to cast, and then he’s focused on his bait like a pointer is to his prey.

This is amazing to watch this young man fish with more concentration than many twice his age.

Photo Credit: Wayne Kukral

At Edgar’s first stop, he had two fish in the livewell by 7 a.m. and hooked a nice largemouth right in front of the camera boat. He even netted his own fish.

His boat captain David Furimsky was very impressed, and local bass pro Mike McFarland said he was amazed by the talent and performance of this young man.

Last year, Shane Edgar won the 2008 State Championship in the 10 and under age group, and this year, he moved up to the 11-to-14-year age group to become Angler of the Year.

Photo Credit: Wayne Kukral

Arizona’s new Junior State Champion in the 15-to-18 age group is Corey DeLaGrange of the Phoenix Junior Bassmasters. This is his third season with the Phoenix Junior Bassmasters.

DeLaGrange has placed in the top three in all but two club tournaments and is two-time state championship qualifier. This “Mean, Lean Fishing Machine” has also made Angler of the Year for 2009.

DeLaGrange spent a lot of time studying lake maps and stayed focused while pre-fishing in preparation for this tournament. He was absolutely intent on catching fish on tournament day — enough to nail first place with 4.35 lbs. and Big Fish of the Day.

Twenty of Arizona’s best young bass anglers, ages 10 to 18, had qualified to compete in the 2009 Arizona Bass Federation Junior State Championship at Bartlett Lake. Two age groups — 11 to 14 and 15 to 18 — competed for the state title and the privilege to go to the 2009 National Guard Junior World Championship in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The NGJWC is held in conjunction with the FLW Cup, which is the richest professional fishing event in the world. It will be held July 31 – Aug. 2.

In the 10-and-under age group, Tayler Ferguson of the Cholla Bass Busters, Brandon Fletcher of the Phoenix Jr. Bass Masters, Brian Price of the Phoenix Jr. Bassmasters, and Autumn Riddle, also of the Phoenix Jr. Bassmasters, finished first through forth respectfully.

In the 11-to-14 age group, Shane Edgar of the Phoenix Jr. Bassmasters, Austin Petersen of the Cholla Bass Busters, and Bo Jager of the High Desert Jr. Bass Club, finished first through third, respectively.

And, there was a five-way tie for fourth place: Austin Edgin of the High Desert Jr. Bass Club, Bobby Rubash of the High Desert Jr. Bass Club, Marcus Castro of the Phoenix Jr. Bassmasters, Brandon Pritchard of the Phoenix Jr. Bassmasters, and David Hammond of the Cholla Bass Busters.

In the 15-to-18 age group, Corey DeLaGrange of the Phoenix Jr. Bass Masters, Dan Snyder of the Phoenix Jr. Bassmasters, Tate Ferguson of the Cholla Bass Busters, Landon Wright of the Lake Powell Jr. Bass Club, Chase Frans of the Phoenix Jr. Bassmasters, and Chance Kohnke of the High Desert Jr. Bass Club finished first through sixth, respectively.

Also, there was a two-way tie for seventh place: Josh Beeler of the Lake Powell Jr. Bass Club and Ryan Petersen of the Cholla Bass Busters.

All the junior anglers would like to thank the Arizona Bass Federation and the volunteer boaters who donate their time, boats, and gas to support the youth involved in this sport. Without them, the young anglers wouldn’t have such a great club.

Mostly though, they thank their parents for supporting them. Parents who stay involved with their kids know that this helps keep them off drugs and involved in the sport of fishing.

Also building is a good foundation of volunteer youth directors who work hard to keep the clubs growing — getting better and bigger. It takes all together to make this work.

The Bass Federation Inc. (TBF) is owned by those served and is dedicated to the sport of fishing. TBF-affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 fishing, youth and conservation events at the local level each year and have provided the foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 30 years. For full details, the results can be found at the Arizona Bass Federation Web site under youth @ www.azbassfederation.com

Wayne Kukral, the Arizona Bass Federation Youth Director, would like to thank the parents of our members for all of their support along with our sponsors — Southwest Boats, and The Sportsman’s Warehouse. Also, a big thank you to all who donated tackle.

For more information, contact Wayne Kukral, Arizona State Federation youth director: (602) 565-7747.