Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club reeling in registrations for annual tournament

The Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club has lunch, trophies and the Texas rigs covered. 

Now, they just need anglers from ages 5 to 19. The annual Youth and Teen Fishing Tournament is scheduled for Oct. 5 at Lake Uihlein. 

Club President Ed Van Stedum said young anglers have a chance to catch bream, tilapia and catfish in Lake Uihlein, but 90% of the fish caught will be largemouth bass.

There’s also a healthy amount of grass and weeds in the lake, so volunteer rangers will be on hand to help rig up the participants’ fishing poles with Texas rigs, which hide the hooks inside artificial worms. 

The fish still get hooked, but the rigs are able to slide through the water without dragging a salad full of weeds back to shore. 

“Premier Tackle donates all the artificial bait we use, so we’ll have plenty of that,” Van Stedum said. “We have found it's easiest to use artificial bait, and quite frankly, it’s a very effective way of catching fish.”

However, there are no restrictions on what kind of bait can be used. Participants are welcome to bring their own bait, live or artificial. 

The club, along with Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and Grace Church, provide everything the kids could need. PDQ Chicken donated lunch, and if a child doesn’t have a fishing pole, the club will provide a loaner if participants contact [email protected] after registering. 

The club rangers will weigh, measure and help release the fish back into the lake, too. 

Courtesy image

“Catch and release is an extremely important part of what we do,” Van Stedum said. “It’s the right thing to do to teach the children about not only catching but giving the fish a chance to grow some more so they can be caught again in the future.” 

The tournament and volunteers are two reasons Van Stedum is proud to be the president of the club. He said the rangers are from all over the “melting pot” of Lakewood Ranch, so they have fishing experience from all over the country. 

“The tournament is well organized. The kids have fun. It’s our highlight event of the year,” Van Stedum said. 

More than 50 kids are currently registered, but the club expects more towards 100 will be registered by Oct. 5. The kids will be divided by age into three groups: 5 to 9, 10 to 14 and 15 to 19. The top three finishers in each age group wins a trophy. 

The winners are determined by the total number of inches of fish caught. If an angler catches four 5-inch fish, the total for the day is 20 inches. 

Julian Hittle caught a 17.5-inch bass during last year’s tournament. Van Stedum said the typical range is between 4 inches and 16 inches long. The biggest catch he can remember weighed about four pounds.

The tournament is for all skill levels. Not only does Premier Tackle provide the bait, the shop also provides its expert staff, so even first-time anglers can participate in the tournament. Between the staff and club rangers, there's plenty of help available.

Blue-green algae in Lake Uihlein delayed the tournament from April to October, and now it’s going to stay that way because it works out better for the club, which holds two big events each year — the fishing tournament and a Learn to Fish seminar. 

Both events were held between March and April. The new schedule leaves more space between the two. Van Stedum called the delay “a blessing in disguise" and said the lake is in perfect shape, free of algae. 

“We’ve helped hundreds, probably thousands of children over the years, and they always seem to leave with a smile on their face and are happy for the opportunity,” he said. “We just hope the weather holds up.”