Bass Fishing: Hinsdale Central reels in trip to state meet

Updated: May 5, 2012 10:36PM

Brian Liss spent his Sunday afternoon on a shopping trip to Bass Pro Shop in Bolingbrook.

Liss had a good reason. After Friday’s sectional, the Hinsdale Central sophomore is headed to the fourth annual state meet May 4-5 at Carlyle Lake in downstate Carlyle. Liss and his partner, fellow sophomore John Flaherty, caught their limit of five fish for a total of 10 pounds, 8 ounces to finish second at the Busse Woods Reservoir Sectional Friday in Schaumburg.

Lake Park won the sectional with a total of 11 pounds, 12 ounces for five fish. Hinsdale Central’s second boat of seniors Nichole Mara and Austin Laniosz were the third and last boat to advance with five fish weighing nine pounds, 10 ounces. The sectional featured 10 boats, but only the top three teams caught the maximum five fish.

Liss and Flaherty wlll make their first trip to the state meet, but Mara and Laniosz will make repeat trips after having different partners last season.

“We reached our five-fish limit right off the bat,” Liss said. “We used a Texas rig and blue and black chatter bait. We caught them right away.”

Flaherty had the biggest fish in his boat weighting 2 pounds, 14 ounces. Red Devils coach Bob Barber drove for Liss and Flaherty, using a boat borrowed from the father of a custodian at the school. Barber and his fishing duo pre-fished at Busse Woods before the sectional.

“We fished together as a team at a couple of ponds at Busse. Again, I have to give credit to Mr. Barber,” Liss said. “He is an all volunteer (coach). He does it out of the goodness of his heart. He’s very knowledgeable. He knows his stuff very well.”

Mara caught the second largest fish at the sectional, weighing 3 pounds, 10 ounces. Elk Grove finished fourth and failed to advance by catching only one fish. The biggest bass at the sectional was caught by Elk Grove’s John Hornsberger at 5 pounds, 2 ounces.

Mara and Laniosz fished off a boat owned by Mara’s father, Larry, who was the driver. Nichole Mara won last year’s sectional with former partner Brent Phillip, who graduated.

Mara caught the duo’s five keepers.

At last year’s state meet, Mara and Phillip were unable to catch any fish.

“Me and Austin, both of us are seniors and that’s our prom weekend,” Mara said. “We will miss prom to go to State. We hope we can catch some fish. Hopefully, we’ll get both boats to place.”

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