The Trophy

The California Bass Championship and our sponsors are proud to announce that artist Chad Turner is building our perpetual trophy. Chad is an award winning wood carving artist that builds incredible life-like sculptures from raw wood. Chad can be found at http://www.FishCarvingArts.com. To see Chad's recent gallery of work please visit his website gallery (Click Here)

Early Stages of the Trophy being made
Held here by Creator - Artist Chad Turner


Side view of the Trophy in its Early Stages

Here is a Sample of previous work by Chad

About the Artist
Born in 1967, Chad Turner is a native Floridian and from an early age has been drawn to water and was swimming before he could walk.  Growing up on a lake in Central Florida; his mother made sure of this.  The desire to be in the water, on the water, or around the water is due in no small part to his parents; his mother an expert swimmer, diver, and water skier and his father a h ighly regarded birding authority throughout the U.S.  By the age of six, he was water skiing and going on birding adventures with his father that covered the state of Florida from coast to coast, panhandle to the Everglades.  As a child, Chad also enjoyed fishing and snorkeling around the docks of the lake he grew up on and hand feeding muscles to the sunfish or snorkeling the shallows of the Florida Keys or Sanibel Island looking for shells with his sister and grandmother (who was also the recipient of the Dupont Trophy for her work as curator of shells at the John Young Museum in Orlando, Florida).  Naturally, this led to scuba diving and trips with friends and family to dive the coral reefs of the Florida Keys for lobster or to the springs of Central and North Florida were common.  C had also enjoys fishing the freshwater lakes of Florida or the flats of Mosquito Lagoon and Cedar Key, to the abundant marine species the state has to offer.  Even fishing off of oil rigs for big Cobia in the Gulf of Mexico when he worked offshore.

In the early 1990's Chad relocated to Sturgeon Bay, WI where he excelled in the art of taxidermy and became increasingly familiar with animal anatomy.  In his spare time enjoyed Wisconsin fishing for the abundant and variety of warm and coldwater fish.  Chad also  continued birding while in Wisconsin and he began new outdoor pursuits in wildlife photography and bow hunting.  However, he was missing home and in 2004 moved back to Florida and now focuses his attention solely in the art of wood carving .

The combination of his life experiences and having formally studied art, drawing, marine biology, and oceanography, leads to very accurate and thoughtful interpretations of wildlife.

Achievements

2010- Best In Show- Redfish- Florida Winter National Wood Art Expo & Competition
2010- 1st Place, Fish- Redfish- Florida Winter National Wood Art Expo & Competition
2010- Best In Show- Redfish- Treasure Coast Woodcarvers 26th Annual Show
2010- 1st Place, Fish- Redfish- Treasure Coast Woodcarvers 26th Annual Show
2010- Achievement Award- Emperor Angelfish- Indian River Woodcarvers 2nd Annual Art & Sculpture Show
2010- Best In Division, Aquatic- Redfish- Indian River Woodcarvers 2nd Annual Art & Sculpture Show
2010- 1st Runner-up State Championship, Fish- Redfish- Indian River Woodcarvers 2nd Annual Art & Sculpture Show
2010- Featured Artist- "Artist Spotlight" Coastal Angler Magazine
2010- 1st Place, Fish- Redfish- Ridge Woodcarvers 18th Annual Art of Woodcarving Show
2010- Two-Time Featured Artist- Yahoo Group Fishcarving2