Full-speed ahead for IHSA's fishing derby

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Here's one way to look at the IHSA's inaugural State Bass-Fishing Tournament:

On Friday, April 24, 2009, and again on Friday, May 8, 2009, some lucky high-school kids literally are going to be able to play "hooky" from school WITHOUT being penciled in for detention, or ISS, or worse by their respective academic institutions.

That's because they will be the competitors in the prep fishing derby, which is being organized as we speak by the beloved Illinois High School Association.

Some of the plans for the bass-fishing competition were announced this week, including dates for sectional derbys (Friday, April 24, 2009), as well as the state finals (Friday/Saturday, May 8-9, 2009).

What hasn't been picked yet are locations for the sectional derbys or the state finals.

Some of the rules that have been finalized are:

n Schools will be allowed to enter up to two boats, with up to three students in each boat, although only two students may fish at any one time.

n The competition will run for up to eight hours per day. Each boat may weigh five fish at the end of each day's competition, with the most bass poundage winning.

The IHSA says Illinois is the first state high-school association to sponsor a bass-fishing tournament, which may or may not be a good thing.

In any case, more rules and guidelines surely will be forthcoming.

Until then, while we have several area high schools located on the Chain O' Lakes and several others adjacent to the big lake, our pick to click when the state-championship trophy is awarded next May continues to be ...

Stevenson High in Lincolnshire.