St. Joe Bass Masters Report

The St. Joe Valley Bass Masters have changed their 46th annual free youth fishing tournament location from Potato Creek State Park to Pin Hook Park in South Bend.

The annual youth derby is Aug. 13 and is open to all kids ages 4 to 14. The youth fishing contest is one of the longest running kid events in the Midwest and averages approximately 200 kids each year. In fact, some parents and grandparents participated in this event when they were youngsters.

The park is located at Riverside Drive and Boland Drive in South Bend. The change was necessary because Potato Creek State Park has begun construction on a new inn on the land where the contest used to be held.

There will be both boy and girl divisions. Age groups are 4-7, 8-11, and 12-14 in each division. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Each contestant gets a free T-shirt.

Fishing begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 11 a.m. At the conclusion of fishing, all participants are provided hot dogs, chips, and soft drinks.

The club will give away great prizes, including bicycles, TV’s, camping and fishing equipment, and other cool prizes to the top five finishers in each division. In addition to prizes, the top five also receive plaques.

The contest is determined by total inches of fish caught, regardless of fish size or species. Every contestant goes home with a goodie bag filled with school supplies and other items provided by sponsors.

A parent or guardian must accompany the child and bring along fishing pole and live bait. Contestants will fish from the shore. Club members will be on hand to assist.

You can save time by pre-registering which will help the club determine the number of participants. Simply go to the club’s website (www.stjoevalleybassmasters.com), click on youth tournament and download the entry form. For more details, contact Fred Zimmerman, (574)-850-4521 or email him at zman240@att.net.