Rend Lake Weekly Fishing Report

June 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment

REND LAKE FISHING REPORT
Jun 01, 2018
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Phone (618) 724-2493
Fax (618) 724-4089
e-mail : rendinfo@usace.army.mil
Web site http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/rend
“Like” us on Facebook at Rend Lake Project Office/Visitor Center

MAIN LAKE AND TRIBUTARIES

SPECIES RATING BAIT OF CHOICE SUGGESTED LOCATIONS REGULATIONS

LARGEMOUTH BASS
Good Minnows, spinner baits, worms, and black and blue jigs, soft plastics. Reports of fish being caught around Waltonville and Bonnie near the wildlife refuge, and below the dam. Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks. 14” minimum length limit, 6 daily creel limit.
1 fish daily creel limit in PONDS 14” minimum length.

CRAPPIE

Good Small & medium minnows on Slip-Corks (1-3 ft. deep). Quarter-ounce pink and white tub jigs.
Still Shallow! (2-5 ft.) Fish attractors! From shore, fish near structures, hot spots are Jackie Branch, Sandusky (Lay-downs), Sailboat Harbor, North and South Marcum (in the Buck Brush), and Ina Boat Ramp. Set your hook about half of water depth. Bigger fish are staying tight to cover. 25 fish daily creel limit with no more than 10 fish 10 inches or longer

BLUEGILL

Good Small jigs, worms, meal worms, wax worms, crickets. From shore try Sailboat Harbor and Mine 21 Road. Fish shallow with crickets, worms or small jigs. Set bait at half of water depth. Fish in the back of necks and on flat shallow banks and on the rocks. 10 fish daily creel limit in PONDS.

CHANNEL
CATFISH

Excellent Large minnows, leeches, cut shad, shrimp, dip bait, night crawlers, and Sonny’s stink bait. Try leeches in moving water. Drift fish the flats. Set line 3-4’ from the shore over rocks and in shallow bays. Waltonville Dam, and N Sandusky day-use area. 10-1 feet depth. Creeks doing well. 6 fish daily creel limit in PONDS.
Jugs must be attended at all times while fishing.

WHITE BASS
Fair In-line spinners, jig and curly tail grubs. Reports of fish being caught around the 154 bridges. Fish around along the rocks and drop-offs. Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. 20 fish creel limit.
No more than 3 fish 17” or longer daily

Information as of: 06/01/2018
LAKE LEVEL: 407.97 AVERAGE POOL FOR THIS DATE: 408.17 WATER TEMP: 77°F
Use of a minnow seine, cast net, or shad scoop for bait collecting within 1000 yards downstream of the Rend Lake dam and spillway is prohibited.
Maps of the Fish Attractor tree locations along with GPS locations are available at the Rend Lake Corps of Engineers Project Office or online at www.enjoyrend.com. Contact Mark Cazier for more information at (618) 724-2493.

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Southern Illinois Men’s Basketball completes stellar academic year with 3.03 GPA

June 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Saluki men’s basketball program recently completed one of its best academic years on record with a combined team grade point average of 2.87, including a spring semester mark of 3.03. Junior guard Marcus Bartley, who carries a 4.0 GPA, became the program’s first CoSIDA Academic All-American since 2009. In addition, the team’s multiyear Academic Progress Rate score, according to the NCAA, was 964 out of 1000. The score was based on a four-year average from 2014 to 2017.

“Our program has been blessed to be surrounded by an incredible academic support staff, including Kevin Kendrick, Kaila Tyner and Kristina Stepps, as well as our University Achieve Program,” said SIU head coach Barry Hinson. “In the past six years we have raised our APR average and graduated 18 of 20 players who exhausted their eligibility. This 90 percent graduation rate is a huge credit to our young men and their families and the character they’ve inherited and displayed as student-athletes.” 

Six former players returned to campus to finish their degrees during the last six years, including Justin Bocot, Diamond Taylor, John Freeman, Matt Shaw, Chase Heins and recent Law School graduate Carlton Fay. In addition, nine scholarship players have earned their degrees in the last three years: 
2015-16: Anthony Beane Jr., Ibby Djimde, Deng Leek 
2016-17: Sean O’Brien, Mike Rodriguez, Leo Vincent 
2017-18: Tyler Smithpeters, Jonathan Wiley, Austin Weiher

“The first thing Coach Hinson talks about to the team each year is academics and how we conduct ourselves in the community,” said O’Brien, who recently completed his first season of professional basketball in Finland. “Above just winning games, Coach Hinson and the staff want us to get our degrees and become successful employees, husbands and fathers.” 

Sean Lloyd, who will be a senior at SIU next season, said he struggled academically when he first arrived, but credits the support staff for helping him learn to thrive in the classroom. 

“School was something I never took very seriously until I got here,” he said. “Kaila Tyner has gone above and beyond to help empower me with confidence and motivate me. Getting good grades and earning our degrees are important pillars in this program that the coaches and players take as seriously as winning.”
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Don Gasaway: Try a dropshot rig for sunfish this summer

May 30, 2018 By Leave a Comment
TRY A DROPSHOT RIG FOR SUNFISH THIS SUMMER
Dropshotting is a basic yet effective technique for those days when the sun is high and the fish have lockjaw.
Fishermen who like to pursue lunker panfish during the warm summer months can find them in the many ponds and lakes of the Midwest. Where there is water there are panfish.
Dropshotting is a light-line finesse presentation also known as controlled depth fishing.
It is particularly effective with light line regardless the type of rod and reel combination. For flooded brush fishing a long rod with four to 6-pound line is recommended. In jigging situations from boats stationed over a brush pile shorter rods can be used.
In rigging the line, you tie a Palomar knot in the line about 18inches from the end with a very long tag end.
To the end of line (on the tag end) attach a sinker. This can be a split shot sinker. Tie a small overhand knot to the very end. It helps to keep the sinker from slipping off the end when caught in brush or rocks.
A piece of nightcrawler is threaded onto the hook. When the line is dropped into the water the worm and hook float above the sinker. Thus, as the rod tip is moved, the action is applied to the bait not the sinker.
This rig can be cast, jigged or drifted. The key is to not move quickly. Wiggle the bait rather than jerk it. Cast out and let the bait sink. Watch the line float, twitch it and the watch it float. Give it a shake occasionally which will cause the worm to twitch.
Bluegills relate to vertical structure such as sticks, trees and other vegetation in the water. Sunfish tend to relate to horizontal structure in the water. On hot, sunny days they will seek out areas shaded from overhead light. This can be under docks or a tree hanging over the water.
Fishing for these members of the sunfish family is a great way to introduce children to the sport as well as provide some tasty eating for the family table.
The bluegill and sunfish action is usually great all summer. One can get up to date site specific information by calling the fishing hotlines and checking the fishing reports of various newspapers in the area you plan to fish.
For more information on lodging accommodations as well as outdoor activities in Williamson County, or to receive a free color Fishing Guide, contact VisitSI at 1602 Sioux Drive, Marion, IL 62959.  Call 800-GEESE-99 or email info@VisitSI.com.  Current information is also available online at www.VisitSI.com
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Former professional soccer player Libby Stout named assistant coach for SIU’s new soccer program

May 30, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Stout

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CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois women’s soccer coach Grant Williams announced on Tuesday that former professional soccer player and standout goalkeeper Libby Stout will join his staff as an assistant coach. 

Stout played for Williams at Western Kentucky, where she earned All-American status and was a three-time team Most Valuable Player. She posted a 45-17-11 career record from 2008-11 and set school records for wins, shutouts, goals against average and save percentage. Her 39 career shutouts ranked second all-time in NCAA Division I history at the time she graduated and still ranks eighth all-time.

“Our program just got better today and I couldn’t be more excited that Libby is joining our staff,” Williams said. “When I started to evaluate what characteristics would be important in helping me, and more importantly, our team develop on and off the field, Libby was the first person I thought of.”

After graduation, Stout played professionally overseas for five years with stops in France, Germany, England and Cyprus. Among her many career highlights, she helped Liverpool win a league title in 2014. Stout also played two seasons (2016-17) in the United States with the Boston Breakers of the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) and has international-team training camp experience with the U.S. Under-23 National Team in 2013.

“Her experience and success as a student-athlete and as a professional at the highest level will be an invaluable asset as a resource and role model for our team,” Williams continued. “I have witnessed first-hand her passion, character, and work ethic, as a collegiate athlete and I can’t wait to see it again as a coach with our program.”

Since retiring from professional soccer last fall, Stout has worked in the private sector while maintaining her Stout Goalkeeping (stoutgk.com) personal training platform for aspiring goalkeepers. She also served as an assistant goalkeeper coach with the Region 1 Olympic Development Program, based in Massachusetts, for youth soccer players.

“I am extremely excited to be joining Grant and the women’s soccer program at SIU,” Stout said. “I’m really looking forward to the transition from playing the game to coaching Division I soccer. Not to mention, the opportunity to start a program from the ground up is a unique and exciting prospect. I’m humbled to work alongside Grant and I can’t wait to get started and make SIU proud.”

Southern’s newly created women’s soccer program is preparing for competition in the fall of 2019 and entry into the Missouri Valley Conference in 2020.

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Rend Lake Fishing Report – Memorial Day Weekend

May 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

REND LAKE FISHING REPORT

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Phone (618) 724-2493

Fax (618) 724-4089

e-mail : rendinfo@usace.army.mil

Web site http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/rend

“Like” us on Facebook at Rend Lake Project Office/Visitor Center

 

 

MAIN LAKE AND TRIBUTARIES

 

SPECIES RATING    BAIT OF CHOICE              SUGGESTED LOCATIONS REGULATIONS
 

LARGEMOUTH BASS

  

Good

 Minnows, spinner baits, worms, and black and blue jigs, soft plastics. Reports of fish being caught around Waltonville and Bonnie near the wildlife refuge, and below the dam. Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks. 14” minimum length limit, 6 daily creel limit.

1 fish daily creel limit in PONDS 14” minimum length.
 

CRAPPIE

 

  

Fair

 Small & medium minnows on Slip-Corks (1-3 ft. deep). Quarter-ounce pink and white tub jigs.

 

 Still Shallow! (2-5 ft.) Fish attractors!  From shore, fish near structures, hot spots are Jackie Branch, Sandusky (Lay-downs), Sailboat Harbor, North and South Marcum (in the Buck Brush), and Ina Boat Ramp. Set your hook about half of water depth. Bigger fish are staying tight to cover. 25 fish daily creel limit with no more than 10 fish 10 inches or longer
 

BLUEGILL

 

  

Good

 Small jigs, worms, meal worms, wax worms, crickets. From shore try Sailboat Harbor and Mine 21 Road. Fish shallow with crickets, worms or small jigs. Set bait at half of water depth. Fish in the back of necks and on flat shallow banks and on the rocks. 10 fish daily creel limit in PONDS. 
 

CHANNEL

CATFISH

 

  

Excellent

 Large minnows, leeches, cut shad, shrimp, dip bait, night crawlers, and Sonny’s stink bait. Try leeches in moving water.  Drift fish the flats. Set line 3-4’ from the shore over rocks and in shallow bays. Try Turnip Patch, and N Sandusky day-use area. All creeks and middle-back of coves. 6 fish daily creel limit in PONDS.

Jugs must be attended at all times while fishing.
 

WHITE BASS

  

Fair

 In-line spinners, jig and curly tail grubs. Reports of fish being caught around the 154 bridges. Fish around along the rocks and drop-offs. Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. 20 fish creel limit.

No more than 3 fish 17” or longer daily

 

Information as of:  05/24/2018

LAKE LEVEL: 408.16      AVERAGE POOL FOR THIS DATE: 408.62     WATER TEMP:  81°F

Use of a minnow seine, cast net, or shad scoop for bait collecting within 1000 yards downstream of the Rend Lake dam and spillway is prohibited.

Maps of the Fish Attractor tree locations along with GPS locations are available at the Rend Lake Corps of Engineers Project Office or online at www.enjoyrend.com.  Contact Mark Cazier for more information at (618) 724-2493.

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Benton, Nashville advance to sectional final

May 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Wednesday night’s Class 2A sectional semifinals in Harrisburg saw two games that were stark opposites.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Filed Under: Sports

Salukis top Evansville 5-4 in 12 innings on Blackfan’s walk-off

May 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

DALLAS, Texas – The Southern Illinois baseball extended its season with a 5-4 win over Evansville in 12 innings at the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Logan Blackfan hit a single in the 12th, and Nikola Vasic was called out at home plate; but after video review, the call was reversed when replay showed Vasic getting his hand to the plate before the tag was applied. 

“Niko said immediately that he got under it,” SIU head coach Ken Henderson said. “It’s not like the MLB when we can call our video guy and ask if we should review something. Credit the umpires; they immediately went to the review to get it right. It was a new experience for all of us. At the end of the day, they got the call right, and nobody can argue it because it’s on video.”

The game went back-and-forth during the regulation nine innings. After Evansville’s early 1-0 lead, the Salukis (28-29) scored three unanswered runs to take a 3-1 lead. Evansville (12-39) regained the lead in the eighth, but Connor Kopach tied the game with a clutch two-out RBI single in the bottom of the inning. The game went to the 12th before Blackfan’s walk-off RBI single.

“I’m proud of our perseverance,” Henderson said. “We struggled to score runs all day long, but we kept battling and kept grinding. Our pitchers kept giving us a chance. We had a ton of opportunities. Finally, we had the right guy up in Blackfan, and he came through.”

Brad Harrison started the game on the mound for SIU and allowed just one run in 5.2 innings. Allen Montgomery got out of a jam in the sixth and allowed just one run in the seventh. After Ryan Netemeyer gave up the lead when Evansville scored twice in the eighth (one earned), he made huge pitches in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Trey McDaniel pitched three scoreless innings to close the game and earn the win.

“We pitched well all day long,” Henderson said. “Harrison was really good. He was worn out because it’s so hot on that turf. Pitcher after pitcher did a great job. Montgomery did a great job. I’m really proud of Netemeyer. They took the lead in the eighth, and he goes back out and throws up a zero. McDaniel was great. The key to the game was only walking one guy in the last 6.1 innings. That was huge. Even though they scored, we made them earn everything they were going to get.”

Kopach—who had two clutch hits late in yesterday’s game against Indiana State (a go-ahead homer and game-tying double)—came through again today. With SIU trailing 4-3 in the eighth inning, Nikola Vasic drew a two-out walk in the eighth inning and stole second. Kopach singled in an 0-2 count to tie the game.

“To me, that’s the big one,” Henderson said. “At that time, it’s late in the game and you’re down. It’s easy to give in at that point, and we didn’t do it.”

SIU pulled out the win despite setting an MVC record with 17 men left on base. The Salukis drew 14 walks and had four batters hit by a pitch.

The game was an elimination game in the tournament, so SIU kept its season alive and ended Evansville’s season. The Salukis will play another elimination game at 9 a.m. on Friday morning against the loser of the Missouri State-Indiana State game, which will be played Thursday evening.
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Hurley punches ticket to Nationals on day one of NCAA West Prelims

May 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Ricky Hurley

Hurley punches ticket to Nationals on day one of NCAA West Prelims

It marks the 19th time that a Saluki hammer thrower has advanced to the NCAA Championship meet since 2010.

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Ricky Hurley punched his ticket to the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. in the hammer throw on day one at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field West Preliminary Round in Sacramento, Calif. 

In addition to Hurley qualifying for the national meet for the first time in his career, Warren Hazel moved through to tomorrow’s 400-meter dash final for the second-straight season. 

Hurley took 12th in the hammer throw with a toss of 209′-6″. Hurley was in fourth after the two flights, but was bumped down to 12th after the final flight that featured the top-16 throwers in the field. It marks the sixth time in the last eight years that a Saluki male hammer thrower has qualified for the national meet. SIU men’s and women’s throwers have combined to advance to the NCAA Championship meet 19 times in the event since the NCAA adopted the current regional format in 2010. 

Hazel took second in his 400-meter dash heat to automatically advance to tomorrow’s quarterfinal The Old Roads, St. Kitts native ran 47.01, taking second in his heat to USC’s Michael Norman. Hazel’s time was the 18th-best time of the first round. 

Eight Salukis fell just short of qualifying for the national meet. Competing but not advancing for Southern was: Nate Dyer (hammer throw, 206′-2″ (62.84m), Shafiqua Maloney (400m dash, 33rd place, 54.62), Bri’Anna Branch (100m dash, 38th, 11.81), Tyjuana Eason (100m dash, 43rd, 12.00), Luke Horton (800m run, 42nd, 1:53.34), Mesha Newbold (400m hurdles, 42nd, 1:00.89), Sian Person (shot put, 46th, 45′-7″ (13.89m), and A’veun Moore-Jones(shot put, 47th, 45′-6.50″ (13.88m).

Hurley is up first for the Salukis on day two at the NCAA West Preliminary, as the Fox River Grove, Ill. native will throw second in flight two of the discus beginning at 12 p.m. PDT (2 p.m. CST). Hazel will run in the quarterfinals of the 400m dash at 5:30 p.m. PDT (7 :30 p.m. CST) while Maloney, Branch and Eason will all run in the first round of the 200m dash tomorrow at 7:55 p.m. PDT (9:55 p.m. CST).
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Rangers face A-J at Harrisburg Sectional Tournament

May 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

The Benton Rangers baseball team, winners of six straight and the Du Quoin Regional champ, will face off against Anna-Jonesboro on Wednesday in the second of two games to be played at the Harrisburg Sectional Tournament.

Here’s the brackets for sectional and super-sectional play.

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Salukis open MVC Tournament on Wednesday

May 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (27-28) at MVC Tournament // May 23-26, 2018 // Dallas, Texas (Weather) // Horner Ballpark (2,000 / Turf) // SIU Game Notes PDF

Southern Illinois will open the MVC Tournament at 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning against Indiana State. The Salukis are the No.5 seed and will face No. 4-seed Indiana State in the tournament’s opening game. 

Tournament Central » MVC-Sports.com

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

The MVC Tournament features all eight MVC baseball teams. Based on overall seed, the teams are split into two four-team brackets. Each bracket plays a double-elimination format, and the two bracket winners face off in a single-elimination championship game. Fans are encourage to follow the MVC Tournament Central for all game times, ESPN+ and live stats links, game stories, and updates. 

ABOUT ESPN+

All games in the MVC Tournament will be broadcast on ESPN+. Valley fans can take advantage of a free trial offer to watch the 2018 MVC Baseball Tournament from Dallas, Texas, on ESPN+.  Proceed to https://plus.espn.com and click on the Start My 7-Day Free Trial tile.  The free trial timeframe is for new ESPN+ subscribers only.  Patrons will be auto-billed unless they cancel before the end of their free trial period.  Subscription will automatically renew unless canceled and is subject to the ESPN+ Subscriber Agreement.  Participants can cancel their subscription by logging into their account and clicking ‘My Subscription,” emailing or calling Customer Support at 1-800-727-1800.  Pricing is subject to change.

AROUND THE HORN

  • Southern Illinois opens the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference tournament against Indiana State at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. SIU-INS is the tournament’s opening game.
  • The format of the tournament is two, four-team brackets. Each bracket will play a double-elimination format, and the winners of the two brackets will play a single-elimination championship game.
  • The Salukis won at least one MVC Tournament game in the first six seasons under head coach Ken Henderson before going 0-2 last season. Henderson was the interim head coach in 1994, and the Salukis also won one game in that MVC Tournament.
  • SIx Southern Illinois players earned All-MVC recognition.
  • Baird and Blackfan earned All-MVC for the second time. Kopach and Netemeyer end their careers as three-time All-MVC performers.
  • SIU has pitched seven shutouts in 2018, which ranks fourth in the nation and most for any SIU pitching staff since 1979.
  • Connor Kopach (31 steals) and Alex Lyon (29) are the nation’s No. 1 stolen base combination.
  • Kopach leads all active players in the NCAA in career stolen bases (82).
  • Against top-40 RPI competition (Dallas Baptist, Missouri State, and Tennessee Tech–all on the road), Michael Baird has a 1.93 ERA.
  • Over the last three seasons (291 innings), Baird has a 2.99 ERA.
  • Among Valley aces, DBU’s Trevor Conn leads in ERA (but Baird has pitched 36 more innings) and MSU’s Dylan Coleman leads in strikeouts (but Baird’s ERA is a run better than Coleman’s). Baird ranks second in the MVC in both ERA and strikeouts.
  • Ryan Netemeyer has 37 career saves, which is second in MVC history.
  • Baird (320 innings), Blackfan (69 doubles), Kopach (82 steals) and Netemeyer (37 saves) lead all active MVC players in those career statistics.
  • Logan Blackfan had his 21-game hitting streak earlier this season, tied for the fourth-longest hitting streak in SIU history.
  • Connor Kopach was named to the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, given to the nation’s top shortstop.
  • Nikola Vasic has reached base in 51 of the last 53 games. Vasic has separate 27- and 17-consecutive games reached base streaks this season.
  • SIU ranks fourth nationally in stolen bases with 125.
  • SIU has turned 45 double plays this year, which leads the MVC. The Salukis have led the MVC in turning double plays in five of the last six seasons.
  • Five SIU pitcher have at least one stretch of 10-consecutive batters retired this season (Baird, Harrison, Harrison, Givens, Steege).
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