Bass Fishing Sectional at Shabbona Lake — 2013-14

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These results are posted as a convenience to fans and media, and need to be checked by the IHSA Office for accuracy and completeness. All names and results appearing on this report are subject to verification by the IHSA Office before advancement is official.

Manager's Comment: Largest Bass – Trevor Branson, Geneva (Team #2), 4.20 pounds 2014 Shabbona Lake Sectional Tournament Recap Friday, April 25, 2014 This year’s Shabbona Lake Sectional tournament was very competitive, and much more productive than last year’s event. After only one fish was brought to the scales during last year’s brutal weather, there were 34 bass weighed in during this year’s event. The weather was very pleasant with temperatures in the mid 40s with cloudy conditions in the morning, and rising to the high 60s with abundant sun by the afternoon. The wind gusted at times, but was never a real detrimental factor. Fishing was productive throughout the day, but the majority of the fish were caught near the end of the tournament as the water temperatures warmed up to over 60 degrees in some areas. The top 3 teams qualifying for the IHSA State Finals on Carlyle Lake for May 9-10 were St. Charles North (Teams #1 and #2) and Geneva (Team #2). St. Charles North (Team #2) took home the Sectional Championship by catching 5 bass that weighed 9.70 pounds total. Their big bass of the day weighed 2.65 pounds. Their team consisted of senior Matt Fredericksen and freshmen Carter Heflen and Jacob Lewandowski. The boat captain was Dave Fuerst. St. Charles North is coached by Timothy Pinks. Matt Fredericksen led the way for the team by catching 4 of their 5 biggest bass. Their primary pattern was fishing jigs along the weedline on the east and northeast shorelines. Fredericksen noted that “It was tough to feel the bite on the jigs with the windy conditions. You really had to stay mentally focused at all times.” St. Charles North (Team #1) finished in 2nd Place by catching 5 bass that weighed 6.95 pounds total. Their team consisted of seniors Curtis Cecchi and Joseph Igleski, sophomore Jacob Scharringhausen, and freshman Daniel Barsanti. The boat was captained by head coach Timothy Pinks. Their team caught their bass by working rattletraps in the weeds in the northeast bay. Senior Curtis Cecchi noted that their highlight was catching their final fish with less than 5 minutes to go in the tournament. Geneva (Team #2) finished in 3rd Place by catching 5 bass that weighed 6.60 pounds total. Their team consisted of senior Sam Vogelsberg and junior Marc Horaig. The boat was captained by Mark Vogelsberg, and the team is coached by Tom Anderson. Geneva had a rough day until finding an active school of fish in the campground bay during the last hour of the tournament, and caught their fish by working rattletraps off the points. The Big Bass of the tournament was caught by senior Trevor Branson from Geneva (Team #1). Trevor’s bass weighed 4.20 pounds, and was caught in the east bay on a crankbait early in the morning. Honorable mention goes to the Burlington Central team of Dylan Benner and James Cieslica. Dylan and James had taken 1st Place at the Pre-Sectional Tournament this past Saturday (4/19) with 8.15 pounds including a very nice 4.85 pound bass. Dylan and James continued to catch fish today with a 5 fish limit weighing 6.25 pounds, but unfortunately, they could not find the same type of big bass that they had caught on Saturday, and missed qualifying for the State Finals by less than a half-pound. Other teams weighing in bass including Marmion Academy, Batavia, DeKalb, Earlville, and Indian Creek. Overall, 19 teams competed which included 62 students. 12 out of 19 teams (63%) weighed in fish. The 34 bass brought in for the tournament weighed a total of 50.70 pounds, for an average of 1.49 pounds per fish. Great job by all of the anglers involved. As always, thanks to Denny and Clint Sands from the Lakeside Bait Shop for their help in running the tournament. It was a great event, and next year hopes to be even better. - Joe Large, Brian Drendel Sectional Managers