On an afternoon in late March, the New Trier bass fishing team is transforming the cafeteria into their makeshift lake. Buckets are set up for casting practice, and the team members gather around a table and pass around some snacks. But, according to fishers and coaches alike, those who want to understand the sport of bass fishing need to look beyond the team’s leisurely demeanor. Below the surface, bass fishing is not all fun and games.
Senior Will Kaufman, who has been on the team for two years and is now a co-captain with senior Sam Rose, said, “I think bass fishing is a very unrecognized sport. Of course it does not take many physical attributes, but mentally you really have to work.”
Assistant coach Bill Franz added, “It is pretty strenuous, pretty competitive. It’s a little more than people think it is.”
When describing the sport, Franz used the same simple phrase as junior fisher Matilda Montgomery. “It’s not as easy as it looks,” he said.
Montgomery explained that using “different rods, different reels, and different baits” make fishing much more challenging, as do the locations available to the New Trier team. The fishers usually practice in the cafeteria until April, when the ice melts and they can move to the Skokie Lagoons.
For some participants, the opportunity to spend time outside in the spring is what makes the sport unique. “You get to fish all day when it warms up, which rocks,” said Rose, who has been on the team since freshman year. “What’s not to like?”
The outdoor environment is also what draws Coach Franz to bass fishing. “It’s one of my passions. I’ve been doing it since I was a little kid, and now I can pass it on,” he said.
However, the Lagoons themselves are far from perfect when it comes to competitive bass fishing. They don’t have a plentiful supply of fish, and schools in the southern suburbs often get out onto the water before the ice here has even begun to melt.
In fact, the team’s lack of open-water experience is their biggest disadvantage, but they are ready to make up for it this season with mental acuity and hard work. Kaufman said, “I feel like we do have some kids who have been on the team for a while, who are really smart about lures and casting, and who just have a good knowledge of the sport.”
Franz also praised captains Kaufman and Rose for their work in unifying the team, leading practices, and “making coaching easier for us.” He is hopeful that the team can have a strong, competitive season, while Kaufman is hopeful that they can make it to State on May 3..
In the meantime, fishers are prepping for their meets, which can often be affected by variable conditions like weather, wind, and wave height. Franz said, “It’s a different field to play each time we’re out.” This unpredictability makes bass fishing uniquely exciting, as well as uniquely challenging.
At a typical meet, fishers are led on to a body of water—like Clinton Lake—by a guide, who offers some advice. According to Kaufman, fishers must also “use their personal knowledge” to select the best fishing location and technique. At the end of the day, bass that are at least twelve inches long are weighed to determine the scores for the respective teams.
But no matter how well they do numerically, the bass fishers seem sure to make the most of their season. Many are enthusiastic about the close camaraderie of their team, including Rose, who said, “My team is a family, cemented together with tight bonds and friendships between teammates. We all get along great and have fun fishing together, which is what we all love doing.”
Montgomery, the only girl on the team, agreed. “You get to meet new people and become like a little family,” she said.
With an evidently cohesive team, all that’s left is for their unity to extend beyond New Trier’s inner circle of fishers. “I hope the whole school supports us and roots for us to have a good season,” said Franz.