Easy Public Access for Fishing Information

NU Carp

A lot of success in fishing depends on planning; I talked about that in the last article. Information-gathering is a critical component of planning, and it has gotten a lot easier in the electronic- information age. I thought I would share some of the sources available to make fishing more successful.

Let's start with the legal side of fishing: Those over 16 in most states must have a fishing license. That can be a one-day permit, or a weekend, a 10-day or a year-long license, depending on state law. Years ago anglers had to wait until they arrived at their destination and then find out who was selling fishing licenses in the area. Now fishing licenses are sold on the Internet and can be printed on a home printer.  A look at www.dnr.state.il.us for Illinois or www.dnr.state.wi.us for Wisconsin, shows the pattern for almost any state.  Now it is possible to have a license before leaving home.

Information about what fish are biting on and where is great information to have. A phone call to the local bait shop is always a good choice, but a couple of websites can be helpful as well. Here in the Chicago area I recommend www.chicagolandfishing.com for reports on local  fishing.  For reports covering five states, check out www.lake-link.com  Pick a state, look up fishing reports and read about what is going on.

A great site for fishing maps (lake contour) available to download/print is www.sportsmanconnection.com. The maps are good quality when reproduced and are available for most lakes in the Midwest. Another source is www.fishingmap.com.

And for learning to tie all those knots necessary for fishing and boating, try www.animatedknots.com.  This site shows slow-motion video on how to tie the best knots. 

Hope these tips are helpful, and keep a tight line.

Wildkit Soccer Academy To Help Prepare For Tough Season Ahead

By Nick Batlle

With the boys soccer season starting Aug. 8 this year, the same time as football, head coach Franz Calixte is wasting no time in getting his team physically prepared.  

After getting knocked out of the playoffs against New Trier last year in the first round of sectionals, Calixte is looking to rebound strong with a team that is expected to be significantly younger than in previous years.

Calixte's three-day tryouts are characterized by conditioning in the morning, a two mile, 12-minute run, and technical skills in the afternoon.  He has no intention of lightening the load this year. Instead he wanted to start the season early to iron out any kinks before the first game on Aug. 24 at Libertyville.

The Wildkit Soccer Academy's high school session started Monday and goes until July 31, eight days before tryouts.  The camp directors are Calixte and Girls Soccer Coach, Marx Succes both of whom stress physical fitness in the off-season, and everyone participating at the academy is forewarned.

"The mission is to get everyone playing and knowing each other," said Calixte.  "With soccer starting earlier this year, we will have an emphasis on conditioning, so by the beginning of the pre-season, they will be better prepared."

But that is not the only focus of the camp.  Practice starts at 5 p.m. and goes until nearly 8 p.m.  After the staff finishes running the campers, their attention shifts to work on positional play in simulated game situations.

As for the season ahead, the team will once again be competing at the Barrington tournament at the end of August and the Peoria tournament at the end of September, but the real challenge will be finishing strong, despite the tough schedule they were dealt.  The season ends with games at Maine South, who took third place in state last year, and with reigning state champs New Trier at home.

Well aware of the challenges that lie ahead for his team, Calixte is optimistic that the structure of this pre-season will allow his players to get comfortable early on so they can compete aggressively when it matters.

"It will still be a three-day tryout," Calixte explained.  "But the team will be made by Saturday [Aug. 11].  It will all be technical and tactical stuff from there."

3 on 3 Basketball Underway at YMCA

By Nick Batlle

No one appreciates Evanston summers more than the students in District 65 who spend the waning days of the school year day-dreaming about anything but school.

But eventually, once summer arrives, boredom sets in for even the most active kids, and in an attempt to liven up these long summer days, kids act up in ways parents would not necessarily approve.

The McGaw YMCA has come up with a plan to solve the problem of these midsummer doldrums that simultaneously entertains the kids and satisfies the parents' concerns for safety and supervision.

The first of three scheduled youth basketball tournaments was held on July 13 for a group of boys and girls anxious to play a little b-ball.

The tournaments are designed to give third-through eighth-grade students who enjoy playing basketball something to do from 6 to 10 p.m.

"Our aim is to keep kids active and involved," said Monique Parsons, vice president of programs at the YMCA.  "We hear  over and over again that there is nothing to do, so we're organizing fun activities in a safe environment." 

The participants in the 3 on 3 single elimination tourney are encouraged to play competitively, while abiding by the values of the YMCA - caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.  To help ensure that they get more out of the night than simply a good game, the players arrive 30 minutes beforehand to fill out a student form with a discussion topic.  For the first tournament the kids were asked to write about the effect of music on the way youth perceive themselves. 

The first 20 students to arrive register for free, and everyone after that pays $5.  Although many kids show up with a team already in place , there are people to organize teams for those who come by themselves.  Winners receive t-shirts and certificates of participation and have their pictures posted as the champions to help motivate everyone to come back and play hard the next night.

Partnered with other community centers such as Y.O.U., Fleetwood-Jourdain and Robert Crown, organizers at the YMCA are looking forward to the tournaments' expanding to monthly during the school year.  This Friday, July 27, will be the event's second night, followed by an additional tournament Aug. 17.  Registration is at 5:30.

"Once the tournament becomes known, it will grow, but we need the community's support," said Parsons.