Blake Gowen, President of Alabama Student Anglers Bass Fishing Association (ASABFA), recently appointed Walton Roberts, of Demopolis, District Director of the Association’s District 8. Roberts’s district includes the Alabama Counties of Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia and Monroe.

As a District Director Roberts will also sit on the organization’s board of directors which includes one representative from each of the ASABFA’s ten state districts.

The new director will be responsible for coordinating with the ASABFA high school Chapter Clubs in those counties that includes the coaches for the student anglers and boat captains. These bass fishing clubs have members from the same high school and select their own names. Roberts will be insuring the clubs conduct the required six training sessions and four club tournaments to qualify for the District 8 Regional Tournament.

He is an ambassador for the ASABFA in helping other clubs organize and affiliate with the official student angler organization in Alabama.

Roberts will be working with city officials, tourism offices and businesses in areas that are potential locations for ASABFA District 8 Regional Tournaments that are held each year.

Municipalities are very interested in attracting ASABFA Regional events to their area as well as the ASABFA State Championship which generates significant income for those cities.

There are several unique aspects to the Alabama Student Angler Bass Fishing Association. One is the fact that the Alabama Legislature made ASABFA the official student angler organization of the state.

Another is that the Association is completely non-profit and staffed from top to bottom with un-paid volunteers. The organization, founded in 2010, is funded by membership fees, sponsorships, grants, and donations.

At the end of the 2011 season, 805 student anglers had participated in the four ASABFA Regional Tournaments and the State Championship Tournament. Twenty-nine high schools in Alabama were represented by an ASABFA affiliated team. This was only the second year of the organization’s operation and first full tournament year.

The Alabama Student Angler Bass Fishing Association is a completely independent organization and is not affiliated with any state, high school, athletic or national youth fishing entity.