Illinois to hold nation’s first high school bass-fishing tournament – Norwich, CT – Norwich Bulletin

By Chris Young

GateHouse News Service

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. —

Illinois will make history April 24 when 400 boats take to the water all over the state for the first-ever high school bass-fishing tournament anywhere.

The top 54 teams will advance to the state championship May 8-9 on Carlyle Lake northwest of Centralia. Three boats from each of 18 sectionals will advance.

Qualifiers will be allowed a day of pre-fishing to practice on May 7.

Dave Gannaway, the Illinois High School Association’s assistant executive director in charge of the fishing series, said the interest in the tournament is surprising.

“We had to open up 18 sectionals to accommodate the huge interest,” he says. “Almost all of them are entering two boats, so up to six kids can fish from each school.”

“I thought we might get 100 schools and each of them would have one boat,” Gannaway says. “I thought we might need to have six or seven lakes open.”

Instead, he is organizing 18 tournaments at 18 lakes.  Click link below for full story

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