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IU fishing team heading to national championships

Some readers may be surprised to learn our Indiana college students can do more than play basketball – like the IU team. They can fish!

Earlier this month, the Indiana University team of Jesse Schultz and Dustin Vaal of Bloomington, Ind., came from behind to win the National Guard FLW College Fishing Central Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake Monday, with six bass weighing 13 pounds, 2 ounces, for a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 29 pounds, 14 ounces.

For their efforts, the team won a Ranger 177TR with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard wrapped in school colors, valued at $25,000, and $25,000 for their school.

“After day one, we were going after schooling bait,” said Vaal. “At the end of day two, I told Jesse that I had this place in the back of my mind, but he was not confident about it. But, I said, ‘Let’s just go there and try it for a few minutes.’

“We went in there and started stroking them. So today, we were going to hit (that spot) in the morning and see how we do and go from there. When we got in there this morning, we had a limit by nine o’clock.”

Vaal said they caught the majority of their fish on a spinner bait: “It is what we threw today and it caught 47 of the 50 fish we landed today. It is a 3/8-ounce bait that is split down the middle with silver and gold on each side, with a citrus-shad skirt. It was an awesome day.”

“It is just amazing,” said Schultz. “We just wanted to have fun out there today, knowing we had already qualified for the national championship. Dustin picked up that spinner bait and it was just one right after another. Once he had his limit, he handed the bait over to me and I started catching them.

“I caught my first fish, the biggest one, on a sweet beaver. After we had our limits in the morning, we were just searching for that big kicker fish, but we never really found it. Fortunately, we didn’t need it.”

The National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship will be held at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville April 10-12, 2010.
Rounding out the top five teams are Eastern Kentucky University – Richard Cobb V of Richmond and Tyler Moberly of Berea (12 bass, 25 pounds, 12 ounces, $25,000); The Ohio State University – Casey Hammann and Kevin Moeller, both of Cincinnati (eight bass, 22 pounds, 11 ounces, $11,000); Southern Illinois University – Richard Dunham of Carbondale and Travis Gould of Vandalia (10 bass, 20 pounds, 3 ounces, $8,000); and Murray State University – Steve Miller and Kalem Tippett, both of Murray (eight bass, 17 pounds, $6,000).

Fort Wayne stocks bass fingerlings for Lakeside

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) continued efforts to improve fishing opportunities in Fort Wayne by recently stocking 780 largemouth bass into the ponds at Lakeside Park.
The stocking is part of the “Fishin’ in the Fort” program initiated in 2008 with the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department. The program aims to evaluate local fish populations, improve fishing around the city and encourage youth to participate in outdoor activities.

The bass, approximately 1-3 inches long, were surplus fingerlings from this year’s state hatchery production and were stocked to prey on small sunfish.

“A fish population survey in 2008 showed that bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish were very abundant and exhibited slow growth rates,” said DNR fisheries biologist Nate Thomas. “Similarly, few bass were captured in the survey, indicating there were not enough predators to control the sunfish population.”

Thomas expects the largemouth bass to have noticeable effects in the next three to four years. Bass stocked this fall may limit sunfish reproduction in the spring by feeding on sunfish fry. Within a couple of years, the bass will be large enough to prey on adult sunfish.

According to Thomas, the stocking will provide potentially more and bigger bass for anglers and with fewer sunfish, bluegill fishing also should improve. “It’s all an effort to create balance among predators and their prey,” he said. “This will help provide better fishing in the future.”

The DNR also stocked surplus largemouth bass in Cemetery Pond near J. Edward Roush Lake, Hominy Ridge pond near Salamonie Reservoir and Bostwick’s Pond near Mississinewa Reservoir.

DNR biologists and Indiana enforcement officers would like to remind fishermen they may only keep up to five largemouth bass per day and each fish must be at least 14 inches long. State fishing regulations are enforced at all waters historically stocked with state-reared or state-purchased fish, including the requirement of anglers 17 years and older to carry a valid annual state fishing license.

Mounds State Park hosts kids’ winter camp

Does your outdoorsy kid need something to do over their winter break? Mounds State Park is offering its first ever Winter Break Camp for 7- to 11-year-olds. The three-day camp is filled with fun outdoor and indoor winter-themed activities, including educational games, exploration hikes, nature crafts and more.

Each camper should dress for the weather and bring a sack lunch every day (the park provides snacks and drinks.) The camp cost is $30 per kid, and advance registration is required – space is limited, so sign up early.

Winter Break Camp will be held Dec 28-30 from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day. To register your camper or to ask any questions about the program, contact the interpretive naturalist at 765-649-8128.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.

12/2/2009