Bass fishing proposed as a Missouri high school activity
 

Dang wish they had this as a option when I was in High School. I know K~State has a fishing team. Anyone know if any of the other Big 12 schools have fishing?

This warm weather sure gives ya fishing fever... if ya fish that is.

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/1020244.html

Posted on Thu, Feb. 05, 2009
Bass fishing proposed as a Missouri high school activity
By BRENT FRAZEE
The Kansas City Star

Picture this: Spectators in bleachers tensely watch as points are posted on a scoreboard, cheerleaders wave pompoms and young athletes sweat out a close contest.

A typical high school game or match? Well, not quite.

Someday, this scene may take place at a Missouri reservoir — as part of a high-school bass fishing tournament.

Don’t laugh.

Once you get over the unlikely prospect of a student lettering in bass fishing or getting a scholarship to fish for some Division I school, consider this: Bass fishing already has become a recognized high school activity in Illinois. And a group of fishermen in the bass-rich Ozarks are pushing for the sport to gain the same status in Missouri.

“I know I would have had more interest in school if there had been a bass fishing team,” said John Neporadny of Lake Ozark, Mo., a nationally known outdoors writer. “This has the potential to bring in a whole new group of kids who hadn’t been involved in sports before.

“With bass fishing being so popular in Missouri, this is a natural. I think it would go over big.”

Neporadny is leading the charge to get bass fishing recognized as part of Missouri’s high school scene. A former guide and tournament fisherman, he has seen the sport’s popularity explode.

From the big pro tournaments on reservoirs such as Lake of the Ozarks and Table Rock Lake to the bass club events on countless bodies of water in the state, Missouri is crazy about bass fishing.

And Neporadny thinks that carries over to youngsters of high school age.

“A lot of these kids in the Ozarks are brought up fishing,” he said. “I know a lot of high school kids who are very good fishermen.

“This would give them another outlet. And it would offer teaching tools in biology, meteorology and even math.”

The concept already has been endorsed in Illinois, the first state to offer bass fishing as a state-sanctioned high-school activity. This spring, 214 of the 775 Illinois high schools will compete in a tournament series to determine a state champion.

They will start with 10 to 12 sectionals, with the top four or five teams at each of those events advancing to the finals May 8-9 at Carlyle Lake.

Neporadny and others see no reason something similar can’t take place in Missouri.

One of the biggest supporters of the concept is Jim Huson, an American history teacher at Republic High School. He fishes tournaments in the Ozarks and teaches a summer-school class on bass fishing. There is classroom instruction three days a week and a half day of actual fishing, often with pro fishermen.

“This is my way of passing along my passion for bass fishing,” Huson said. “We may be the only high school in the country that has a class like this.

“It’s been unbelievably popular. Once we open enrollment, it doesn’t take long for the class to fill up.”

Huson has joined Neporadny in mounting a campaign to get bass fishing recognized as a high school sport.

His proposal to the Missouri State High School Activities Association looks something like this:

•Each school that chose to participate would field a team of four fishermen.

•The state would be divided into four regions, each of which would have a sectional tournament.

•Schools would fish as a team, two boats per school. Total weight of bass for each team would count for that school.

•The top 10 teams in each sectional would advance to a state tournament.

•All boats would be operated by a coach or school representative, though students would be allowed to handle the trolling motor.

Neporadny and Huson have been busy this winter trying to gain support for the idea. The activities association will start by including bass fishing on a questionnaire that will go out to state schools soon.

If there is adequate interest, it would then be placed on a ballot and voted on by representatives of member schools this spring. If it passed, bass fishing probably would start as an activity, not a sport. But that could change, depending on the popularity of the events.

“Anytime we can provide activities that give students a reason to wake up and want to go to school, it’s a positive thing,” said Jason West, a spokesman for the activities association, “But we can’t add activities just to add them.

“We have to make sure there’s adequate support from our schools. That’s the process we’re in now — to see if that support is there.”

HIGH SCHOOL BASS FISHING
The competition would include many of the same concepts as other interscholastic sporting events.

•Scoreboards: Digital scales weigh each fisherman’s catch and the weight is posted on a scoreboard.

•Bleachers: Fans would watch weigh-ins from a designated area at the edge of the lake.

•Concession stands: What would be more appropriate than fish and chips? Just make sure the fish aren’t bass. Those go back in the water after weigh-ins.

•Venues: There would be no shortage of potential tournament sites in Missouri. The Show-Me State has nationally recognized bass waters.

•More information: For more information on the drive to get high school bass fishing in Missouri, call John Neporadny at 573-365-4296.

I could easily see this becoming popular.

I bet all my local high schools could kick ass at it, joy of living at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Thats funny.

Well Shucks.

What's next, frog giggin'?

OK, I think this is ridiculously hickish, but for where I grew up, EVERYONE was not around on the 1st day of hunting season, including the teachers.

Also, I think this may be the first valuable thing that a high school could teach its students. At least if something happened and the student was lost in woods with nothing but his fishin' pole, he would know how to use it!

Im so jealous, I really wish they had this 15 years ago! I would have never missed any school. If golf can be a school sport then fishing should be one too.

no.

why not?

If ESPN is broadcasting collegiate bass fishing tourneys, then there is no reason that MSHSAA can't support the activity.

Last year the fishing industry generated $46 billion in revenue from sport fisherman.

golf takes skill....

fishing takes luck....

This will do wonders for shedding the redneck image of the state.

yes and our education rating....I'm sure sinking money into fishing programs will really get our education system on the right track

Fishing is alot more than just luck, you gotta know what lures to use. Where the fish are at. If they are spawnig. Water temp. Water clarity. What color lures to use. Its a whole lot more than just luck.

Actually it takes both.

I taught 3 years at a rural HS prior to my current job. While they didn't have an official team, quite a few of the students participated in and organized tournaments. This could definitely take off. The UofA has a bass team, and they won the 2008 champship. Or actually, one of our anglers did: Kazuki Kitajima. Nothing like that homegrown talent. ;)

NewPhin I see ur from Fayetteville... or living there atm.

I have family down that way. Ya do any fishing on the White river? I haven't fished it in many years... I also lived down that way. Over near the ketchup towns... Hindsville and Huntsville. Used too cross the river everyday on the way too work. Would leave early and getta few casts' in.

I go smallie fishing on the Elk and Big Piney rivers's down in southern Mo.

The MSHSAA should worry more about fixing the ridiculous football playoff system than considering ****ing fishing as a state recognized sport.

I do quite a bit of fishing in the different sections of the White river system: from trout on the tailwaters to warm water species in the tributaries. The white bass run is approaching, and your old stomping grounds has some great access points for that run.

The Elk and Big Piney are some of my favorite areas to hit for smallies.

I should add that since my second kid came along, I don't get out to fish nearly as much as I used to.

nah, I know... I actually love fishing, really love it. Would do it every day if I could. I'm just not sure it needs to soak up any more money that should be spent on education.

It's been a few yrs since I hit the Elk and Piney, might have tp make a trip this year. My favorite is the Buffalo. I'm going to make a serious effort this year to float it for a few days.

kids fishing, it's catching on

I guess don't see anything wrong with it. The only worry I have is the cost and upkeep of the boats. Four man teams seems pretty restrictive for getting a lot of involvement.

Is that where you have your van?

Nobody can **** with me in FGin. I got 22 last time I went home to TN(tasty), and I caught 13 bass out of the lake in the backyard of my home there.