Heading to the Big Show...

I'm getting a few ducks in a row for an upcoming trip to the Bassmaster Classic.  No, I'm not fishing it, I'm headed down to work for fellow PAA fisherman and boat builder extraordinaire Gary Clouse and the Phoenix Boat company.  The classic is a great show, all the new gadgets are there.  All the latest stuff with all the bells and whistles right where you can put your hands on 'em.  Pretty cool actually.  If you ever get the chance to go, do it, it's worth the trip.  I'll let you know how it goes.
God Bless,
Duke

High School Bass Fishing

Yes, you read the title correctly, I said High School bass fishing.  Some of you may have heard about it, some of you maybe haven't.  The state of Illinois has sanctioned bass fishing as a sport, yes, I said sport.  This will actually be the 4th year for the IHSA state bass fishing tournaments.  For the record, I believe there were over 240 participating schools in last years events.  How's that for a program that doesn't "cater" to the masses?  Regardless, the number of participating schools has continued to grow each and every year which is encouraging.  It only leads to getting more folks involved in the outdoors.
We held our first team meeting last week, a meet and greet with new students and their parents, as well as a chance to talk to our returning students.  It looks like we are going to have a pretty good number of kids involved in the program this year.  We've got a lot of underclassmen involved this year, which is great, it leads to longevity of the program, as well as a chance to teach and hone an angler's skill for several years. 
If you happen to live in a state outside of Illinois, you too can still start a fishing club at your local high school, get involved and take a kid fishing!
God Bless,
Duke