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BAI NEWS Illinois Bowfishing News

II

Welcome all to your new and improved BAI News! We hope

you enjoy the newsletter and ask that you let us know how we

can improve it or anything the BAI does. The outdoor show

season is here and the BAI will once again be very busy as we

promote our great sport across the state. We would like to

welcome all the new members who have recently joined up with

the BAI. If there is anything at all we can do to help you with the

great sport of bowfishing, just ask! So join us as we take a look

back at 2012, and a look forward to 2013!

Before we get started we would like to send a big welcome out to all the new BAI members who have

recently joined the club. The BAI is, has been, and always will 100% free to join. All we ask is that you do

your best to support and promote the sport of bowfishing. If you enjoy the club and want to do more for

our sport we urge you to join us at the many outdoor shows, on water bowfishing ranges, tournaments

and fun shoots we hold or take part in every year. Your time, be it sitting in a show booth talking

bowfishing, helping at shoots or teaching people to bowfish at a range is worth much more than money.

Welcome To The BAI!

January 2012

This Month;

New Member Section

The BAI takes a look back at another great year for the club. And we look forward to what promises to be another great year in 2013.

The latest updates on the Cabelas Winter League Big Fish Contest!.

2013 BAI tournament, fun shoot and outdoor show listings.

BAI sponsor page for members new and old alike.

Bringing the world of bowfishing to Illinois!

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The 2013 outdoor show season is just about to get

underway and we are excited to be participating in

several new events this year. We will kick off the show

season at the new Chicago Outdoor Show in

Schamburg Ill. Jan. 23-27. This show is put on by the

American Sportfishing Association and already boasts

an impressive vendor list including many fishing

tackle manufacturers. The BAI will be there

introducing bowfishing to thousands of people in this

new area. Next up is the Great Outdoor Expo in

Sandwich Feb. 1-3. We will have a great exhibit and an

on water bowfishing range in the hotels swimming

pool. Then its on to the #1 outdoor show in the

Midwest, the Tinley Park Outdoor Show! Again we

will have a great display and on water range in the

swimming pool. We are at the Hammond Cabelas store

in March for the Captains Weekend Event! We will

have catalogs from our sponsors at all these shows.

ITS SHOWTIME!

Sarah DeVries, Bill Runchey and Frank Pauliks Working The BAI Booth at

Cabelas

We are very happy to announce that AMS

Bowfishing is sponsoring the 2013 AMS Bowfishing

Big Fish Season Championship! The AMS BFC is a

member favorite where contestants fish are entered

on our forum throughout the year. A photo must be

taken with the fish next to a measuring tape. Points

are awarded for species, size of fish and number of

species. A complete list of rules and standings can

be found at www.illinoisbowfishing.info . Its free to

participate in and AMS has generously donated a

Fire Eagle bow to the winner! We will also have

many other prizes to award. The winner of the 2012

contest was Frank Pauliks! Brent Thompson took

second and Scott Pavey took third. Congrats to

New Sponsor For The 2013 Big Fish Contest!

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2012 was our eighth year and another very successful year for the BAI. And it was very busy. We took part in many outdoor events including several new ones. And we had a heck of a good shoot season. So, lets take a month by month look back at 2012.

THE BAI LOOKS BACK AT 2012

January

Last year was a great year for bowfishing. Warm temps all year kept

many in the BAI on the water chasing fish. Last year we started a

new fun contest as well, the Cabelas Winter League Big Fish

Contest! The contest ran from November 1st thru March 1st. Steve

Bailey won the first winter league and we had alot of great fish

entered, and some great Cabelas gift cards for those who took place

thanks to our great friends at Cabelas! And it was also the start of

the outdoor show season! We kicked the year off at the Kankakee

Outdoor Show and had a great time.

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Next up was the annual BAI pheasant hunt at the Wilmington Sportsmans Club.

And we closed the month out at the Chicago Outdoor Show

February

We had a couple shows in February and started it off at the Sandwich Outdoors Show in Sandwich. It was the first time we set up the pool bowfishing range for

the year and even though it was a little warm in the pool we had a great time.

Then it was on to THE BEST outdoor show in the Midwest, the Tinley Park

Outdoor Show! There we once again set up the pool bowfishing range, and

were glad to be joined by members of the IDNR Fisheries division and IDNR Director Marc Miller. Everyone loves the Tinley Show!

March

The first shoot of the year and more shows! We started the month off at the

Cabelas Spring Outdoor Event!

And then we hit the DesPlaines for the annual Spring Kick Off Shoot!

April The warm winter made for some great bowfishing in April. We started the

annual Big Fish Season Championship and had more fish than ever turned in.

Frank Pauliks won the contest in 2012! We also started out the tournament

season by canceling the Lasalle shoot due to low/weedy water conditions. But

we held a spring shoot on the Illinois. Rick Urban won our first Illinois River

shoot of the year.

May We had our first BIG shoot of the year in May, the Cabelas 3 Rivers

Championship! Had a great turn out too and lots of good fish were taken.

June

We started the month of June off at the Cabelas/Northwoods event and had a

great time teaching bowfishing at the on water range.

Then it was time for the annual AMS Grass Lake Championship on the Fox

Chain Of Lakes. Grass lake is a perfect lake for day shooting and we always

have a great time. This year we were chased off the water right at the end by

some big storms though, but it was still a great time. Gary & Craig Ostrowski

won the shoot.

We ended the month at Shabbona Lake where we held our first fun shoot, and

the first ever bowfishing shoot on this lake set up by Rick Urban. I did not have

a good day even though I won the shoot.

July

Only one thing going on in July, The Innerloc State Championship/Directors

Shoot/AMS Youth Bowfishing Championship!! And it was another great year

with over 40 boats taking part. Brandon Newby Steve Beres and Ryan Wilson

won the day and night event and thousands of asian carp met the freezer!

August

More shoots and our first ever appearance at the Illinois State Fair!! Brent and

Kenny held the first ever Battle Of The BAIs on the Missippi River. And they

took first place as well!

The IDNR invited up to be part of their conservation world area and we gladly

accepted setting up an on water bowfishing range and large display booth

where thousands learned about bowfishing in this week long event. A great

time and we cant wait till next year!

September

Our southern club director John Hacko did alot of work for the BAI in

September running the Rosiclare shoot AND Southern Illinois H&F Days with

area reps Amy and Jeremy.

And Wayne Reed did a great job running N. Illinois H&F Days in Yorkville!

We held another fun shoot in September, the Blue Moon Fun Shoot!

And we had a great time at the BAI Season Ender Shoot where Steve and Mike

took first place with some great grass carp!

October/November

We all took some well deserved rest in October & November but many stayed

on the water. And we started the 2012/13 Cabelas Winter League Big Fish

Contest on November 1st.

December

We ended the year at our annual BAI Christmas party. Always a great time

seeing our members and eating loads of great stuff!!

Im sure I forgot something, but that’s a heck of a busy year either way! And we look forward to more great stuff in 2013. We are currently working with the IDNR on some new programs that will greatly enhance our sport. More on those in a few weeks, but we can talk about what we have accomplished while working with the IDNR for 2013.

YEAR ROUND BOWFISHING AT SHABBONA LAKE

Starting in the 2013 season bowfishing will be allowed the entire year. Until now there has been a very short two month season on the lake but our good friends in the DNR have agreed to lengthen the season after we brought the idea up to them. While there are no official tournaments of any kind on the lake, fun shoots or opens are allowed and we will hold a yearly shoot there. Shabbona is a medium sized lake with a 10HP motor limit. It is perfect for those who bowfish out of small boats or canoes and it holds some good sized common carp. There are also areas offering good shore bowfishing. A lake such as this has been sorely needed in northern Illinois.

MORE DETAILED BOWFISHING REGULATIONS

There has always been confusion about what fish we can harvest and what waters are open to bowfishing. New for 2013, the IDNR Fishing Digest booklet will include detailed information on what fish may be harvested, what fish are protected and what waters are open to bowfishing. In addition, the fisheries division will be including bowfishing and the fish we harvest in their fishing prospects section. This will be a great help for those new to bowfishing and those looking for waters that are good for bowfishing. The DNR will also update the bowfishing opportunities as they keep count of those fish we harvest thru shocking studies.

MORE IDNR AWARDS FOR BOWFISHING

In 2009 the BAI began asking the INDR if they would consider keeping official bowfishing records in the same manner they keep sportfishing records. And after working with them for a few months the official IDNR Bowfishing Records program was started in 2010. The IDNR also started the Bowfishing Big Fish Award and the Junior Angler Bowfishing Award. Now for 2013 bowfishers can try for the IDNR Grand Slam Award and the Master Bowfisher Award. In order to win the Grand Slam award the bowfisher must harvest and document the harvesting of 1000 invasive species. And to win the Master Bowfisher Award the bowfisher must harvest 5 different species that meet a minimum weight requirement. All official rules and entry forms can be found on our site, www.illinoisbowfishing.net or the IDNR I Fish Illinois site at www.ifishillinois.org . Our thanks to all in the IDNR who have worked with us to improve bowfishing in our state, and a special thanks to IDNR Fisheries Biologist Jim Mick for helping us so much over the past year.

2013 Tournament Schedule Here is our schedule for 2013! We will also be adding at least three more shoots to this as soon as the members holding the shoots finalize the arrangements for them. And we will be holding a bunch of fun shoots thru the year as well. Keep an eye on our info forum at www.illinoisbowfishing.info thru the year for updates on all shoots.

CABELAS 3 RIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 11th 2013 4pm-midnight

3 Rivers Marina

Big 10 Format

Big Fish & Big Gar Pots

$20 per person entry fee

AMS BOWFISHING GRASS LAKE CHAMPIONSHIP

JUNE 8th 2013 6am-1pm

Chain Of Lakes SP

Big 10 Format

Big Fish Pot

$20 per person entry fee

THE INNERLOC STATE CHAMPIONSHIP/DIRECTORS SHOOT/AMS YOUTH

ILLINOIS BOWFISHING CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20 & 21st 2013

Starved Rock SP

Split Day/Night Shoot

Multiple Fish pots & Big 6 Championship For Day Format

Big 30 & Numbers Format For Night

Day Shot 5am-1pm

Night Shoot Dusk Till Dawn

$30 per shooter per shoot-$50 for both

OHIO RIVER CHAMPIONSHIP AT ROSICLARE

August 10th & 11th 2013

Dusk Till Dawn

Big 30 & Numbers Format

Big Fish Pot

$20 per person entry fee

The BAI recognizes those members who go above and beyond each year for the club and sport of bowfishing. We look at the amount of outdoor shows they have helped with and the amount of shoots they participated in and helped with. We also look at the time they have spent introducing others to the sport. This year we have an individual and team award. Rick Urban has been awarded the Bowfisher of the year. Rick spent countless hours and traveled across the state promoting bowfishing and helping out at club events and shoots. Our 2013 Bowfishing Team Of The Year is Tim, Tom and Matt Beyer. The Beyers made every outdoor show we were at and traveled to Springfield to help out at the state fair. Congratulations and THANK YOU guys!! And huge thanks to EVERYONE who has helped the BAI at events and shoots. We are a great organization because of you!

And that’s about it for this issue of the BAI News! I would like to get a little personal here and apologize for the lack of newsletters over the past several months. Sometimes life just gets too busy, and my wife and I had a very busy year to say the least. An unbelievable heat wave kept this HVAC repairman very busy thru the summer, but more importantly Sarah and I were busy adopting a 3 year old, Joseph Lee DeVries, who finally came home this past November. Ive already got him into shooting bows and he has his very own Bear recurve to start out with. He is a great kid and has made life so much fun for us. He will be joining us at many of the shows too so stop by and say hi! I will be getting the newsletters our more frequently as well, so until the next time have a great winter and all the best to you all in 2013!!!!!!

BAI Bowfisher Of The Year Award

BAI SPONSORS Here is a list of our great sponsors who have helped the BAI out greatly over the years. PLEASE remember their generous donations to our prize tables and bowfishing range gear when your looking for new bowfishing gear. They are all a great bunch of people.

AMS BOWFISHING

AMS Bowfishing are THE true innovators in bowfishing! They are the only company that makes a reel specifically made for bowfishing, bowfishing specific bows and just about everything you need to get started or upgrade your gear. If you shot a bow on one of our ranges you shot an AMS bow that they donated. Great products and great people. Check their website and online catalog at www.amsbowfishing.com

CABELAS

For ALL your outdoor needs (and lots of bowfishing stuff too!) go to Cabelas! Cabelas has been a BIG sponsor and friend of the BAI for many years. Take the trip to the Hammond store for the best deals on outdoor gear! http://www.cabelas.com/retail-stores-hammond.shtml

INNERLOC If your after asian carp or any soft bodied fish you need an Innerloc Grappler! Great people and great products! www.innerloc.com

ASO MAGAZINE

Home of the BAI`s monthly club column and a whole bunch of great outdoors stories every month! Check their on-line version here and subscribe to Illinois #1 outdoor publication! http://www.asomagazine.com/magazine.asp?status=0&UserID=0

BOWFISHING EXTREME

Bowfishings #1 bowfishing supplier and a long time friend of the BAI. If you need anything for bowfishing Scott will have it at the best price! www.bowfishingextreme.com

PLANO MOLDING

Bow boxes arrow cases and gear boxes. Plano has it all! www.planomolding.com

MUZZY Makers of the famous Muzzy tip bowfishing specific spinning reels and many more great bowfishing products. Got a question call Mark at Muzzy! www.muzzy.com

THREE RIVERS MARINA Three Rivers Marina has been donating a year ramp pass to our State Championship every year and is located minutes from some of the best bowfishing in the nation. Give Harry a call for directions and info at www.threeriversmarina.com

GARQUEST BOWFISHING CHARTERS Want to shoot a huge Texas Gator Gar Tilapia or giant Buffalo? Then give Marty a call at www.garquest.com

FLORIDA BOWFISHING

Looking to bowfish saltwater for giant stingray mullet or sheepshead? Then give Ed a call at www.floridabowfishing.com

FIRENOCK www.firenock.com

FISHHUNTER CHARTERS Northern Floridas #1 Bowfishing Charter. Want stingray? Call Jeff at www.fishhunterenterprise.com

LUMENOK www.lumenok.net

BLACK WIDOW BOWS Without a doubt the best shooting best looking and BEST custom recurve money can buy! If you love recurves you need a Black Widow! www.blackwidowbows.com

RATTLIN RANDY SLINGBOWS

The nations best made and best shooting slingbows! Check out Rattlin Randy at www.rattlinrandy.com

HAWGLITE Night bowfishing is changing thanks to Hawglite! No generators needed when you bowfish with a Hawglite THE light for Bighead Carp. Give Kelly a call at www.hawglite.com

RIVERS EDGE PRODUCTIONS

THE BEST bowfishing DVDs made Check out Rivers Edge at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rivers-Edge-Productions/136351136399556