Published: October 13, 2008 08:34 am      

IHSA authorizes bass fishing as official activity

By VANESSA WELCH

vanessa.welch@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Illinois has become the first state in the country to adopt bass fishing as an official high school activity.

Last year, the Illinois High School Association voted to add bass fishing to its list of 35 authorized sports and activities. The 2008-09 season has started across the state, and although there is a possibility Mt. Vernon Township High School may start a bass club in the future, currently there are no plans of forming a team, according to MVTHS Superintendent Terry Milt.

“We have a policy that sports must be self-sponsored and self-sufficient for three years,” Milt said.

Each school that participates in bass fishing must provide their own sponsor or coach, boats, rods, artificial bait, nets and any other equipment. According to information from the IHSA, a school bass club may meet year round and schedule contests with other schools at anytime.

A sectional tournament will be held in April 2009 at designated lakes across Illinois. State finals will then be held at the beginning of May. Each school will be able to enter one or two boats for the state tournament. Each boat will consist of one to three students, and only two students will be allowed to fish in a boat at the same time.

During the state finals, each school will also be responsible for providing a coach for each boat it enters. The adult will operate the boat’s outboard motor while students are fishing. Since the IHSA considers bass fishing an activity and not a sport, a coach does not have to meet the sport coaching by-law, but they must be approved by their local school board.

According to information from IHSA, high school bass fishing clubs will encourage more students who might not participate in other sports to take part in the after-school activity.