June 8, 2013 Year # 3 2 2 0 0 1 1 3 3 M M i i c c h h i i g g a a n n Y Y o o u u t t h h B B o o w w f f i i s s h h i i n n g g C C h h a a m m p p i i o o n n s s h h i i p p R R e e s s u u l l t t s s • Youth event is 100% FREE!!! • Michigan's only annual youth bowfishing tournament Michigan’s third youth bowfishing event is in the books. On Saturday, June 8, fifty children and teenagers gathered at Echo Point launch on Lake Allegan for a day of bowfishing and archery. Hosted by volunteers from the Bowfishing Association of Michigan, the intent was to introduce our next generation to the great sport of bowfishing. The event was 100% free and all prizes were provided by donors. Why Shoot Carp? The Format This event was developed for kids from the ground up. The format is very similar to adult Big 10 bowfishing tournaments with two exceptions: 1) adults are not allowed to shoot and 2) the kids are scored individually. The kids love the idea that Dad can’t beat them to the fish! Typically, kids haven’t developed an eye for spotting fish in the water, so they frequently get beat to the punch by other shooters in the boat. Since adults aren’t allowed to shoot during the Prior to this year, BAM teamed up with the Allegan DEQ to co-host carp- removal events. The Kalamazoo Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Committee and the Allegan Conservation District hosted their annual “Lake Allegan Carp Derby” for several years. BAM teamed up in 2011 to host their youth bowfishing event alongside the carp derby. The joined events brought dozens of people to the shores of Allegan to reduce the carp population. The youth shoot and carp derby were planned in conjunction with the DNR's free fishing weekend. The goal is to reduce the over- abundant carp population on the lake. However, the carp derby did not take place this year. For this reason, we didn’t have as many young participants as expected, but I think it’s safe to say that all of the kids had a great time! event, it gives the kids some extra shot opportunities that they may not normally get. They also receive the adult’s full, undivided attention. All children 17 and under were welcome to participate. Trophies were awarded to the top three places for each division. There were three divisions for both boys and girls as well as an overall winner for each. The top spots were awarded to the heaviest three fish for each division. Additional prizes were also handed out for big fish, small fish, and highest 3D score. There was also a 3D archery range where kids could shoot a round of 10 shots for a chance to win a trophy. Since this is a bowfishing tournament, if a child shoots a fish, he/she would beat the target shooters. Carp are not native to America, but they have managed to establish a firm foot-hold throughout the continental U.S. They range from central Canada to central Mexico and they can be found in most lakes, rivers, and streams across the U.S. The common carp is one of the most widely distributed fish species in North America, and it’s also one of the most detrimental. Carp are bottom feeders and their feeding habits are very destructive to the waters that they inhabit. They “root” down into the bottom much like pigs do when they are searching for food. This activity stirs up sediment and uproots aquatic plants. This sediment gets suspended in the water column. The murky water gets so muddy that light cannot penetrate. The lack of sunlight kills plants that are necessary for underwater life and the whole food chain gets affected. Carp have also been proven to eat the eggs of more popular game fish. Millions of dollars are spent each year by the DNR agencies across the country in an attempt to control the carp population. Bowfishing plays an important role since we can selectively harvest these destructive fish while leaving game fish unharmed.
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• Michigan's only annual youth bowfishing tournament
Michigan’s third youth
bowfishing event is in the
books. On Saturday, June 8,
fifty children and teenagers
gathered at Echo Point launch
on Lake Allegan for a day of
bowfishing and archery.
Hosted by volunteers from the
Bowfishing Association of
Michigan, the intent was to
introduce our next generation
to the great sport of bowfishing.
The event was 100% free and
all prizes were provided by
donors.
Why Shoot Carp?
The Format
This event was developed for
kids from the ground up. The
format is very similar to adult
Big 10 bowfishing tournaments
with two exceptions: 1) adults
are not allowed to shoot and 2)
the kids are scored individually.
The kids love the idea that Dad
can’t beat them to the fish!
Typically, kids haven’t
developed an eye for spotting
fish in the water, so they
frequently get beat to the
punch by other shooters in the
boat. Since adults aren’t
allowed to shoot during the
Prior to this year, BAM
teamed up with the Allegan
DEQ to co-host carp-
removal events. The
Kalamazoo Total Maximum
Daily Load Implementation
Committee and the Allegan
Conservation District
hosted their annual “Lake
Allegan Carp Derby” for
several years. BAM
teamed up in 2011 to host
their youth bowfishing
event alongside the carp
derby. The joined events
brought dozens of people
to the shores of Allegan to
reduce the carp population.
The youth shoot and carp
derby were planned in
conjunction with the DNR's
free fishing weekend. The
goal is to reduce the over-
abundant carp population
on the lake. However, the
carp derby did not take
place this year. For this
reason, we didn’t have as
many young participants as
expected, but I think it’s
safe to say that all of the
kids had a great time!
event, it gives the kids
some extra shot
opportunities that they
may not normally get.
They also receive the
adult’s full, undivided
attention.
All children 17 and under
were welcome to
participate. Trophies were
awarded to the top three
places for each division.
There were three divisions
for both boys and girls as
well as an overall winner
for each. The top spots
were awarded to the
heaviest three fish for each
division. Additional prizes
were also handed out for
big fish, small fish, and
highest 3D score.
There was also a 3D
archery range where kids
could shoot a round of 10
shots for a chance to win a
trophy. Since this is a
bowfishing tournament, if a
child shoots a fish, he/she
would beat the target
shooters.
Carp are not native to America, but they have managed to establish a firm foot-hold throughout the continental U.S. They range from central Canada to central Mexico and they can be found in most lakes, rivers, and streams across the U.S. The common carp is one of the most widely distributed fish species in North America, and it’s also one of the most detrimental. Carp are bottom feeders and their feeding habits are very destructive to
the waters that they inhabit. They “root” down into the bottom much like pigs do when they are searching for food. This activity stirs up sediment and uproots aquatic plants. This sediment gets suspended in the water column. The murky water gets so muddy that light cannot penetrate. The lack of sunlight kills plants that are necessary for underwater life and the whole food chain gets affected. Carp have also
been proven to eat the eggs of more popular game fish. Millions of dollars are spent each year by the DNR agencies across the country in an attempt to control the carp population. Bowfishing plays an important role since we can selectively harvest these destructive fish while leaving game fish unharmed.
B.A.M. Youth Shoot Page 2
On the morning of the event, the sun was shining and there was a projected high in the mid-seventies. Once again, we were blessed with great weather for the day’s festivities!
After a brief morning
meeting, the kids grabbed
some munchies and hit the
water at 9:00am. Luckily, a
fancy boat is not needed for
this event. This is a
daytime tournament, so
lights are not needed and
any old fishing boat works
great. In fact, a smaller
boat can be an advantage.
Airboats and jon boats with
tall platforms cannot fit
under the M40 bridge, so
they’re confined to the lake
and cannot take advantage
of the good fishing up river.
The Kalamazoo River runs
directly through Lake
Allegan, so water clarity is
largely dependent on river
runoff. On the day of the
youth event, the water was
very muddy and it added an
extra degree of difficulty for
the young archers.
Most of the fish were in the
pre-spawn stage, and all we
needed was some hot
weather to hit the beloved
spawn. It didn’t get hot
enough to trigger the spawn,
but some splashing activity
could be found.
Many teams scoured miles
of shoreline looking for the
invasive targets. Other
teams found carp spawning
in the lilly pads and parked
the boat to wait for the fish
to surface. The method of
waiting for the fish can be
quite effective. It can also
be very frustrating when the
fish are splashing out of bow
range! Another effective
method is spot-and-stalk
bowfishing. Most of the kids
that shot a full 3-fish stringer
did so by wading in the
shallows. Armed with their
bows and stringers, several
kids had great success spot-
and-stalk hunting carp.
Lunchtime was 11:00am to
2:00 pm. Jill Gilson and
Craig Vugteveen made sure
that everybody had plenty to
eat and the popsicle station
was a huge hit, as always!
weren’t as lucky, they still
had a great day on the lake
with Dad or Grandpa!
After the dust settled at the
3:00 weigh-in, 8 kids
brought a full three fish
stringer to weigh-in. Riley
Becker, Riley Schofield,
Morgan Helsel, Hunter
Riggins, Salena Gilson, and
Christopher Russell all
earned 1st place in their
division. The biggest fish of
the day was shot by Riley
Schofield with a Lake
Allegan giant 11.30
pounder! The big fish
earned him a new Retriever
reel from AMS Bowfishing.
The best shot of the day
was made by Haiden
Kowalewski with a 1.39 lb
fish to earn him the small
fish award. The top 3D
score with 96 points out of
100 was shot by Connor
The 3D range is also very
popular with the kids. B.A.M.
member Tim Smith helped the
kids shoot their ten shot round
for a chance at a trophy. After
the child shot his/her round,
the range was available for
open shooting all day.
Many young die-hard
bowfishers opted to skip lunch
and stay on the water all day.
For some kids, it was a good
choice and they brought back
over 10 fish. For others that
Merren. And, last, but
certainly not least, our
overall winners were Riley
Becker in the girls division
with 2.69 lbs and Riley
Schofield in the boys
division with an
impressive 16.09 lbs. We
certainly have some
talented young archers
and we look forward to
seeing all of them next
year!
Let the fun begin!
Page 3 B.A.M. Youth Shoot
Girls 10 and Under
Place Name Age Fish #1 Fish #2
Fish #3
Total Weight
3D Score
(Perfect: 100)
1 Riley Becker 8 2.69 2.69 43
2 Delaney Bryce 10 51
3 Ally Bruursema 10 33
4 Karley Kowalewski 7 28
Boys 10 and Under
Place Name Age Fish #1 Fish #2
Fish #3
Total Weight
3D Score
(Perfect: 100)
1 Riley Schofield 9 11.30** 2.70 2.09 16.09 70
2 Gage Lundquist 10 3.00 2.66 2.64 8.30
3 Easton DeRoo 10 2.00 2.00 38
4 Eian Kowalewski 5 1.47 1.47 25
5 Riley Stout 10 82
6 Mason Stahl 10 54
7 Jordan Stafford 8 46
8 Matt Miller 6 45
9 Owen Handwerk 8 40
10 Avery Bruursema 5 40
11 James Miller 10 35
12 Tanner Wolters 7 35
13 Gavin Fritz 10
14 Mason Lundquist 4
15 Jaiden Taylor 10
Girls 11-14
Place Name Age Fish #1 Fish #2
Fish #3
Total Weight
3D Score
(Perfect: 100)
1 Morgan Helsel 12 79
2 Ashleigh Jarrard 12 74 (2X)
3 Skylar Wezell 12 72 (1X)
4 Sydney Huddleston 12 72
5 Katelyn Helsel 12 68
6 Makenzy Heinzelman 11 40
*= Small Fish **= Big Fish ***= Highest 3D Score
Final Standings
B.A.M. Youth Shoot Page 4
Boys 11-14
Place Name Age Fish #1
Fish #2
Fish #3
Total Weight
3D Score
(Perfect: 100)
1 Hunter Riggins 11 3.84 2.99 2.89 9.72 86
2 Jacob Jenkins 14 3.19 3.17 2.55 8.91
3 Nick Tarman 14 2.43 2.05 1.96 6.44 82
4 Hunter VeltKamp 14 2.27 2.03 1.94 6.24
5 Haiden Kowalewski 11 1.39* 1.39 56
6 Connor Merren 14 96***
7 Kevin Skorupa 13 89
8 Noah Merren 13 87
9 Alec Crums 14 84
10 Jayden Bennett 13 80
11 Zach Bryce 13 56
12 Justin Stout 13
13 Nolan MacMillen 14
Girls 15-17
Place Name Age Fish #1
Fish #2
Fish #3
Total Weight
3D Score
(Perfect: 100)
1 Salena Gilson 16 2.48 2.48
2 Sara Vugteveen 17
63
Boys 15-17
Place Name Age Fish #1
Fish #2
Fish #3
Total Weight
3D Score
(Perfect: 100)
1 Christopher Russell 15 4.41 4.07 3.72 12.20 86 (1X)
2 Tanner Edewaard 15 2.25 2.08 1.76 6.09 84 (1X)
3 Hunter Smith 17 3.16 3.16 80
4 Artam Rank 17 2.76 2.76
5 Seth Heinzelman 15 1.51 1.51
6 Christopher Jones 17 1.44 1.44
7 Cameron Bennett 17 74
8 Tyler McQuaid 16 70
9 Kyle Buhrmann 16 65
10 Kody Wilcox 15
Final Standings Continued…
*= Small Fish **= Big Fish ***= Highest 3D Score
Page 5 B.A.M. Youth Shoot
“I don’t care if I don’t get any more
fish. I’m just glad I shot this
one!!!”
Easton DeRoo after he shot his
first fish
(10 years old)
*= Small Fish **= Big Fish ***= Highest 3D Score *= Small Fish **= Big Fish ***= Highest 3D Score
B.A.M. Youth Shoot Page 6
Future of Michigan Youth Bowfishing Championship
The Bowfishing Association of Michigan is dedicated to promoting,
educating, and protecting the sport of bowfishing. An affiliate of
Michigan United Conservation Clubs, BAM and MUCC work together