Last May at Carlyle Lake, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) conducted the first high school bass fishing state championships in the nation and world-renowned outdoorsmen Babe Winkelman was there to chronicle the entire event. Winkelman served as the guest speaker at the 2009 IHSA Bass Fishing State Final fish fry for participants and coaches that preceded the state final tournament. Winkelman’s camera crew was present for the entire weekend, filming for an episode of the nationally syndicated show Babe Winkelman's Good Fishing.
The IHSA bass fishing state final episode is scheduled to air for the first time on Saturday, February 6 and then again on Saturday, April 24. According to the show’s website, the Saturday program airs at 6:30 a.m. (Central) on all of the Fox Sports Regional Networks. Fox Sports Midwest will air the show in most of Illinois. Viewers should check local listings for confirmation.
“Babe Winkelman is a legend in the fishing community and you could tell how much the students enjoyed hearing him speak at the inaugural bass fishing state finals,” said IHSA Assistant Executive Director Dave Gannaway. “It meant a lot to everyone that he took the time out of his schedule to be a part of it and this television program will allow people across the country to see what a special thing we have going here in Illinois.”
The IHSA episode will be available for view on-demand on Babe Winkelman's Web site after it airs on television on Saturday, February 6. It will be the site's featured episode for one week and then be available in the video archives.