Sportsmen enjoy a day on Clear Lake

Winning bass weighs nearly two pounds

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Hundreds of nature-loving men and women enjoyed a day on Clear Lake Sunday during the annual fishing derby sponsored by the New Ulm Area Sport Fishermen Club.

There was plenty of ice on the lake -- 18 inches or more in spots -- and the fish were biting. All-terrain vehicles aided fishing enthusiasts by towing them and their fish houses on and off the ice.

Steve Volz of Fairfax caught the largest fish, a 1 pound, 11-ounce bass. Steve Grussendorf of New Ulm followed with a 1 pound, 1 ounce bass. Aaron Thedens of rural Lafayette was third with a 14-ounce bass.

Allan Forster of New Ulm won the crappie division with a 10-ouncer. Following were Don Bastian of New Ulm (8 oz.) and Ed Sehr of New Ulm (8 oz.)

Club President Scott Sparlin was thrilled with the turnout and conditions.

"The weather was very cooperative," Sparlin said. "Last year, it was so warm, we couldn't ice fish. The lake was reclaimed and restocked 3 years ago and the end product is marvelous. Without our sponsors and help from the Sleepy Eye Sportsmans Club, this would not have been possible."

Sparlin and other music-loving fishermen like "Smiley" Wiltscheck and Jeff Wesselmann of New Ulm, Lloyd Havemeier of rural Sleepy Eye and "Kit" Petermann of Evan, enjoyed the late afternoon performing fishing songs in a heated fish house.

Sparlin and Wesselmann played guitar while Wiltscheck and Havemeier played concertinas. Petermann kept the men well fed with his homemade smoked turkey jerkey.

Songs included a number of fishing tunes plus "The Green, Green Grass of Home," "I love her but I love to fish," "In Heaven There Is No Beer," "Somewhere My Love," and the "Schneider Polka."

Sparlin was "super encouraged" by the derby and predicted that Clear Lake would be great for fishing this summer. He invited anybody to come out and give it a try.