Just 10 minutes remained in 12-year-old Anthony Lively's fishing day Oct. 8 on Lake Sinclair when he cast his soft plastic Senko lure into a likely spot and a 3.97-pound bass struck it.

The fish joined two others in the bass boat live well and proved to be the kicker that gave the Lincolnton, Ga., resident a trip to February's Bass Masters Classic on Florida's Lake Tohopekaliga near Kissimmee. He will compete in the National Junior Championships.

The trio of fish weighed 5.71 pounds and earned the member of The Hill Junior Bassmasters the win in the 11-14-year-old age group of the Georgia Bass Chapter Federation Youth Championship. Joining Lively at the Classic is the 15-18 division champion - Matt Henry of Covington's Junior Bass Busters. Lively had the biggest bass caught in his division, while Henry weighed in a 5.83-pounder to top his class.

The Hill Junior Bassmasters club was organized last May with the help of Augusta area federation members Henry Bordeaux, Jay Jennings, Don Kohli and Julius Lively, father of the champ.

It is one of just six junior bass clubs in Georgia with a total membership of 58 youths, but the senior Lively hopes more can be established.

"I have a list of more than 40 youngsters who want to become junior bass fishermen, but we need more bass clubs to get involved," he said.

The South Carolina Bass Chapter Federation also sports six clubs with a total of 62 youngsters participating.

Adult volunteers pilot the boats during the junior tournaments, but can't fish or assist the youths, Lively said. "We have eight tournaments each year. Participants also must maintain passing grades in school."

There are more than 30 adult bass clubs in the Clark Hill Association which sets up rules to be followed in such local tournaments as the Easter Seals and Mr. Clark Hill.

While association member Raysville Bassmasters helped establish The Hill Junior Bassmasters, other member clubs have yet to get involved in the junior program.

Other Georgia clubs are the Golden Isles Junior Bassmasters of Brunswick, the Chattahoochee Junior Bassmasters of Clayton, the Junior Bass Busters of Covington, the Bryan County Junior Bassmasters of Pembroke and the Central Georgia Junior Bassmasters of Warner Robins.

South Carolina clubs are the Dixie Crankers based on Santee Cooper Lakes, the Junior Shaw Bassers of Shaw Air Force Base, and the Lake Murray-based Mid Carolina Junior Bassmasters, Junior Bassmasters of South Carolina, St. Peters Junior Bassmasters and St. Andrews Junior Bassmasters.