First IHSA bass fishing finals at Shelbyville comes out of the fog strong

Despite a two-hour, five-minute delay for dense morning fog, Lake Shelbyville looked strong in its first time hosting the Illinois High School Association’s state finals for bass fishing. St. Charles North in fourth and Sandburg in fifth were both less than a pound off the lead.

Charles Stevens and Hudson Von Qualen show their kicker bass during weighin on Day 1 of the IHSA state finals for bass fishing on Lake Shelbyville. They had St. Charles North in fourth going into the final day.

SHELBYVILLE, Ill.—Hudson Von Qualen and Charles Stevens revealed one straight piece of information Friday afternoon about their bass fishing tactics.

“We caught them in the back of bays,” Von Qualen said.

“That part is true,” Stevens said.

They could afford to joke around after having St. Charles North in fourth place after Day 1 of the Illinois High School Association’s state finals for bass fishing on Lake Shelbyville out of Dam West Recreation Area. They had a five-bag limit of largemouth bass, weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces.

North Greene held first with 13-2.

“They fished flawlessly, they didn’t lose anything,” North Stars coach Tim Pinks said. “They’re good kids and, even better, they’re only sophomores.”

Senior Adrius Stankus, fishing solo, had Sandburg in fifth with 12-6.

“I was flipping shallow wood,” he said. “I had seven bites all and caught the right five.”

Andrius Stankus holds two of biggest largemouth bass out of the limit that had Sandburg in fifth place after Day 1 of the IHSA’s state finals for bass fishing at Lake Shelbyville.

He added one cool observation, “I saw a mess of bass fry, flipped up in it and I got one. So I guess that is a pattern.”

Morris (8-14), New Trier (8-12) and Antioch (8-11) were 15th-17th, respectively, after Day 1.

Full results should be posted shortly at https://www.ihsa.org/Sports-Activities/Bass-Fishing/State-Series-Information-Results

The start of 60-boat field for the first IHSA bass fishing finals not held at Carlyle Lake was delayed for two hours, five minutes by very dense fog.

“We just need the fish to cooperate,” said Chris Schwarz, assistant executive director for the IHSA, as takeoff finally wrapped up.

That they did. Despite fishing for only about six hours, nearly half the field (28) caught limits and nearly all teams (56) weighed fish. That, even with the fog and sporadic spits of rain.

Schwarz has had quite the first year of handling bass fishing for the IHSA with the change in to a regional-sectional-state finals format and the move of the state finals from Carlyle to Shelbyville.

For the record on the first finals at Shelbyville, Pecatonica was lead boat at takeoff at 9:05 a.m. and Waverly Boat 1 weighed in first with 8-1 (21st).