Bass Classic: Kids Edition 2.0

Sunday, August 9, 2026

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Tamarack Lake, Meadville, PA 16335

2026 EVENT RECAP:

🎣 United Way Bass Classic: Kids Edition 2.0 – A REEL Success! 🎣

Sunday, August 9th brought sunshine, smiles, and plenty of excitement to Tamarack Lake as 28 young anglers and their families came together for the United Way Bass Classic: Kids Edition 2.0, sponsored by Channellock, Inc.!

With a permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the competition got underway at 1:00 PM, with young anglers hitting the water for a fun-filled two hours of fishing. Participants competed in three age groups, showing off their skills while fishing for bass, panfish, and more!

And there was plenty of friendly competition along the way!

Fishing Competition Results

7 & Under:
🏆 K. Johnston – 18.25 inches total length

Ages 8–11:
🏆 L. Lipiec – 29.0 inches total bass length

Ages 12–15:
🏆 J. Moore – 16.5 inches total bass length

Alternative Awards

🐟 First Bite: A. Wardian – first catch just 4 minutes into the competition!

⏰ Last Catch Legend: J. Sciallo – making a catch with just 3 minutes remaining!

🎣 Little Lunker: A. Wardian – 2.75-inch catch

💪 Big Bass Award: J. Moore – 16.5-inch

⭐ Catch Me Next Time Award: L. Newhard – for giving it their all and showing great spirit throughout the event!

🎯 The Bass Federation Casting Competition

The young anglers also had the opportunity to test their skills in The Bass Federation Casting Competition. Let's just say... hitting the target proved to be a little more difficult than expected! 

After four official attempts, the challenge definitely tested everyone's patience, precision, and casting skills. But the kids gave it their best shot and, most importantly, had fun trying!

🏆 Casting Competition Champion: M. Lines

We’re looking forward to bringing the casting challenge back and building on it in future Kids Edition events, including opportunities to introduce skills like pitching and flipping!

🎒 A Backpack, A Guess, and a Chance to Give Back

The fun continued with our “Guess How Many Worms Are in the Jar?” contest!

J. Moore came closest without going over and won a backpack filled with school supplies. But the best part? J. Moore also had the opportunity to donate a second backpack filled with school supplies to a school of his choice.

He chose Conneaut Area Senior High School! 

That’s what this event is all about: having fun, building memories, and finding ways to give back to our community.

❤️ Fishing for a Bigger Purpose

Every registration made a difference.

100% of registration fees go directly toward the impact area selected by each participant, and United Way matched those dollars to invest even more back into our community.

Here’s where those dollars are being invested:

🍎 38% – Food Insecurity
🎓 48% – Youth Programming
👕 7% – Essential Clothing
🏠 7% – Housing Instability

So while these young anglers were fishing for bass, they were also fishing for a stronger community. 🎣❤️

A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make Kids Edition 2.0 possible!

👏 Eric Marsh from Bassmasters of Crawford County
👏 Vince & Kelli Trenga
👏 Jay Parker
👏 Tara Lawrence
👏 Tim Chapp

Thank you for your time, energy, organization, and willingness to jump in wherever needed. Events like this don't happen without a community of people willing to make them happen!

And a special thank you to Channellock, Inc. for sponsoring the event and helping us create another memorable day for local kids and families.

Most of all, thank you to the 28 young anglers and their families who came out, cast a line, cheered each other on, and made the day so much fun.

We’ll call that a REEL success!

We can’t wait to see what these young anglers catch next!