The Bass Federation Inc. (TBF) announced that the Indiana Bass Federation's general membership has voted to join TBF in its new partnership with FLW Outdoors. At 3,000 members, the Indiana Federation is the nation's largest.
TBF said the vote, which took place Saturday, was 83 percent in favor of making the move.
"The leadership and clubs of the Indiana Bass Federation are very excited about the opportunities moving forward with TBF and all our new partners," said Indiana Federation president Doug Bradley. "It gives us a chance to build a better foundation for youth and conservation in our state as well as the nation, it provides more fishing opportunities than we ever had, and we are happy that we now have the chance to control our own destiny and programming so that we can do what is in the best interest of the membership and our state fisheries."
TBF said that in late January, Alabama, the nation's second-largest state Federation, and North Carolina, which has a membership base of 1,500 anglers in 121 clubs, also voted to accept the TBF/FLW proposal.
TBF president Robert Cartlidge said he's pleased with the progress that's been made so far. "Frankly, it's been like taking a drink of water from a firehose," he said. "Rosters and new members have been pouring in."
TBF said it has assembled 43 state Federations, and membership is rapidly approaching 20,000.
"Those are hard, verifiable numbers," Cartlidge said. "We also have 10 to 12 states that won't have their rosters in until April or early May, at which time we will be well beyond 20,000 members."
