THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2007
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2007
SPORTS
9A
WILDLIFE
Great lengths for fish
Local biologists preview fishing season at presentation
BY TYLER KLAUS
Local fisheries biologists used fish taken from Clinton Lake to help all levels of fishermen, including students with limited budgets, distinguish between many native species at Fish Night on Friday. The event was presented by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks at their Region 2 headquarters in Topeka.
The free event included presentations on forecasted fish populations, habitat conditions and invasive species. It covered Clinton, Perry, Hillsdale, and Melvern Reservoirs. It also discussed several smaller state and county bodies of water.
They also provided their expertise on local fishing opportunities.
Kirk Tjelmeland, Atchison district fisheries biologist, said the event has more of a purpose than just putting out information.
"It's an opportunity to get to know some of the people that are using our waters," Tjelmeland said. He recently noticed a fisherman on davescountry.com seeking help with determining the species of his catch. Davescounty.com is a local public fishing and hunting Web site.
Comparing the fishing event to other major sports, Topeka resident Bernie Devoy said, "It's like if you go to a ball game, you want to know the
top 10" Devoy has fished at, Perry, Melvain and Shaven Lakes.
Clinton Lake is five miles west of Lawrence, off Clinton Parkway. Richard Sanders, Lawrence district fisheries biologist, discussed the current situation at the 7,000 acre lake. He said about 40 percent of the crappie population is eight to 10 inches in length and 20 percent is 10 to 12 inches in length. Sanders said these were good numbers for crappie fishing.
"It's been known as a crapie lake," Sanders said. "Fifty to 70 percent of anglers are after crapie." For catfish, 67 percent of the population is 11 to 16 inches in length and 26 percent is 16 to 24 inches in length. He said there was a good number of quality catfish. In addition, 34 percent of the white bass population is 12 to 15 inches in length, which is also a high number, Sanders said.
Perry Lake is north of Lawrence and 18 miles northeast of Torpeda on U.S. Highway 24. Tielmeland talked about the 11,630 acre lake. He said it will be another above average year for white crappie, catfish and white bass.
"it's some of the best fishing in the state of Kansas." Tielmeland said.
Hillsdale Lake is southeast of Lawrence and roughly three miles northwest of Paola. Dave Spalsbury,
Kansas City district fisheries biologist, spoke about the current situation at the 4,840 acre lake. According to Spalsbury, 33 percent of the walleye population is over the 18 inch length limit, which is very abundant. The catfish are similar to the high numbers at Perry. He also said 36 percent of the population of large-mouth bass is greater than the 15 inch length limit.
"We've got a lot of nice quality fish and on the other hand we have a lot of small fish for the future," Spalsbury said. He also said 39 percent of the white crappie population is greater than the 10 inch length limit.
"It's really good right now," Spalsbury said. "Almost 50-50 of the fish you catch, you know you're going to catch a keeper."
Perry and Hillsdale Lakes offer the best, closest fishing opportunities for students with limited budgets and time.
For more information, please visit the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks' Web site at www.kdwp.state.ks.us.
Kanss sportswriter Tyler Klaus can be contacted at tklaus@kansan.com.
- Edited By Lisa Tilson
A variety of fish are situated on a table to give fishermen the opportunity spot the differences between similar looking fish. Avid anglers gathered together last Friday evening for Fish Night, a program held in Topeka. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks representatives presented varying information about local lakes and their fish populations.
Marla Keown/KANSAN
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Self prepares to face longtime friend and former assistant Billy Gillispie
BY MARK DENT
Bill Self didn't even take a split second to come up with his response.
The name of the team that has had the most impressive turnaround recently other than Texas A&M rolled off his tongue like he had rehearsed it.
"UTER." he said.
Those two teams have something in common. The Miners and Aggies both became success stories with Billy Gillispie at the reigns, meaning Self has some serious respect for Gillispie.
"Nobody's done a better job coaching a team in America than this guy has," Self said. "They were 0-16 to 8-8 to the NCAA Tournament to a top 10 ranking, and they are deserving of that."
Self has no problem praising Gillispie because the two coaches, who will face off against each other Saturday, have been close friends for several years.
The two men started their friendship with the help of a doctor. Well actually, just a Doc. Current Nebraska coach Doc Sadler steered Self and Gillispie toward each other.
It was the summer of 1997, and Gillispie was toiling in obscurity as an assistant for a helpless Baylor team. Self was about to start his first year as head coach at Tulsa.
Sadler, who was an assistant at Arizona State, ran into Self at a high school tournament in Long Beach, Calif. The two started talking, and Self said he needed an assistant who could recruit well in Texas.
"I told him there's only one guy that you need to hire, and you don't even need to know who it is," Sadler said during Monday's Big 12 Basketball Coaches Teleconference. "He's the best."
Sadler gave his answer immediately.
That guy was Gillispie. Sadler had been close with
Gillispie since he recruited one of his players at Ellison High School in Texas in the early 1990s. After Sadler's discussion with Self, he wanted to let Gillispie know right away. Since cell phones weren't common during that time, Sadler couldn't get hold of him and didn't talk to him until three days later at an airport in Colorado Springs. He could tell that Self and his friend had already spoken.
"I was going to tell him coach Self wanted to talk to him, but he was already wearing a Tuba sweatshirt," Sadler said. "I said, 'it looks like yall connected' and he said, 'Yeah'"
That connection became even stronger as Gillispie worked as an assistant for self for three seasons at Tulsa and for two seasons at Illinois. He helped Self make the NCAA Tournament tour out of five years and the Elite Eight twice, once with
each team.
After the 2002 season, Gillispie
After the 2002 left Illinois to become head coach at UTEP. In his first season, the Miners went 6-24, but the second season, Gillispie engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in college history. UTEP went 24-6 and made the NCAA Tournament. His
competing against each other once a year on the court and for similar
"I'm not going to look down there and say there's my buddy Billy, and he's not going to say there's good old Bill."
ability to resurrect a program caught the eye of Texas A&M, and the school hired him in 2004.
BILL SELF
Men's basketball coach
Gillispie's new digs in College Station meant not only a bigger conference and a chance for better recruits but also games against his friend Self, who had been coach at Kansas since 2003. The two would be
recruits off of it.
he can of selling A&M, and I'll do the best job 1 can of selling Kansas, but it will never get personal."
Although they coach opposing teams in the same conference, the two men are still close. They call each other often, and Gillispie still refers to Self as "coach".
Self said he and Gillispie haven't
directly crossed recruiting paths vet, but they have faced each other twice in Big 12 play. The layhawks bested the Aggies both times with relative ease, but this year's matchup promises to be the most intense battle.
Texas A&M has improved every season under Gillispie, going from 0-16 before he got there to nearly defeating FinalFour participant LSU in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament. This year's team is Gillispie's best and currently shares the lead with Kansas and Texas atop the Big 12.
Even with the tension and buildup that is being generated for Saturday's game, Gillispie isn't worrying about their relationship. He said he is concentrating on the difficulty of playing in Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansan sportswriter Mark Dent can be contacted at mdent@kansan.com.
"When you go in there, it's one of the toughest home court advantages in the country," Gillispie said during the teleconference. "They always have a great team every single year, and they have for about 100 years. So when you go there you have plenty to worry about."
Edited by Sharla Shivers
Self shares the same point of view as his friend. He said it is hard during the build up and postgame to play someone he has a relationship with, but when the game starts it doesn't matter.
"I'm not going to look down there and say there's my buddy Billy, and he's not going to say there's good ole Bill." Self said. "And to be honest, neither one of us would want it any other way."