As the water warms up and the sun begins to shine, the Niles West Bass Fishing Team gets ready to go to state. The Niles West Bass Fishing Team qualified for state and the NWN had a chance to sit down with one of the senior captains Thomas Lappas, sophomore member Sam Galanopoulos, and coach William Pistorius. 

NWN: How does it feel qualifying for state?

Galanopoulos: It feels really good. I was also extremely happy since my senior brother is my teammate and we get to go to state for him last year. I also have my dad on the boat as our coach, so it’s family bonding while competing and having fun.

NWN: What are you looking forward to at state? 

Lappas: I started fishing my sophomore year, but my junior year I had an AP test the same day and wasn’t able to compete. We placed top three in total weight caught. I’m looking forward to a fun experience where I can enjoy competing. 

NWN: How did you qualify?

Galanopoulos: We qualified by the amount of fish we caught. Your goal when fishing is to have the heaviest amount of fish. We had a feeling that we would be top three because we were the only team to catch two fish. Also, our second boat came in third so both teams are going.

NWN: What can we expect at the state competition?

Pistorius: We hope to get our senior anglers out to state and to catch bigger Largemouth Bass. We are working to get organized for the state competition. The two teams will be studying geothermal and bathymetric maps of Carlyle Lake, looking for fish patterns. 

Come out to support the Niles West Bass Fishing Team in Carlyle, Illinois. Due to the rising waters, the dates of this tournament will be determined later on as the weather gets warmer.