Windsor Stew-Stras High School Bass Fishing Team

Best of luck to all of the anglers competing in the State Bass Fishing Tournament today and tomorrow!

While we do not have a team competing this year, we encourage our community to come out and support these talented student anglers as they showcase their hard work and dedication on the water.

🎣 Takeoff: 7:00 AM each morning
🎣 Weigh-In: 3:00 PM each afternoon
📍 Dam West Large Group Shelter

Whether you're a fishing enthusiast or simply enjoy supporting youth activities, the weigh-in is a great opportunity to see some impressive catches and celebrate high school bass fishing.

We wish all competitors a safe and successful tournament. Tight lines and good luck!

Our season came to an end today at the IHSA Sectional on Clinton Lake. Hayden Porter & Myles Verdeyen brought in a limit of 5 fish weighing 7.19 pounds. While they didn’t punch their ticket to the state finals this year, this duo has represented our program well over the past 4 years and still remain state champions. We are proud of everything they’ve accomplished together.

Coach O’Dell would also like to congratulate our entire team on a great season. High school fishing is a unique activity that looks a lot different than traditional sports. Early (and cold) mornings, long days, ever-changing conditions, boats, equipment, and countless hours on the water all play a role in making this program successful. Thank you to our captains for volunteering their time and boats for competitions, and thank you to all of the parents and supporters who help make this possible for our athletes.

Finally, congratulations to our neighbors from Shelbyville on winning the sectional title with 18.75 pounds and Big Bass honors! Best of luck to all teams fishing at the IHSA State Finals in June. We’ll be cheering all of you on!

🔥🎣 Sectional Tournament Bound! Good Luck, Hayden Porter & Myles Verdeyen! 🎣🔥

Wishing the best of luck to Hayden Porter and Myles Verdeyen as they represent our high school bass fishing team in the Sectional Tournament tomorrow—Thursday, May 21st—on Clinton Lake!

Launch is set for 6:30 AM (or safe light), and they’ll be competing against 27 of the best teams for a shot at advancing to the State Finals.

🎯 Weigh-In Details:
2:00 PM at Barefoot Cove Marina

🏆 The top 10 boats will punch their ticket to the State Finals at Lake Shelbyville on June 5–6.

Send all the good vibes, tight lines, and big bass energy their way tomorrow! Let’s go get it done! 🎣💪

What a great day on the water for the WSS Bass Fishing Team! Out of 12 competing teams today, WSS is advancing to Sectionals! 🎣

🏆 Windsor Boat #1 — Myles Verdeyen and Hayden Porter placed 3rd overall, weighing in 5 fish for a total of 8.34 pounds. They also earned Big Bass honors with a bass weighing 2.89 pounds! They will advance to Sectionals next Thursday at Clinton Lake.

🎣 Windsor Boat #2 — Heath Westendorf and Max Mueller placed 7th overall, weighing in 3 fish for 4.83 pounds. They will serve as the sectional alternate team if another qualifying team is unable to compete.

The weather was beautiful today, and the fish were definitely biting — with 5 of the 12 boats catching the limit of 5 fish.

Thank you to Friends of Lake Mattoon for providing donuts this morning and hot dogs this afternoon. Also big thanks to Dave and Kathy Doty for the use of their weigh in set up and leaderboard.

Congratulations to all of our anglers on a great day of competition, and good luck next Thursday at Clinton Lake! 💙🐟

Good luck to our anglers competing today at IHSA Bass Fishing Regionals on Lake Mattoon! We hope the fish are biting and the live wells are full as our teams compete for a chance to advance to sectionals. 🎣

If you would like to come out and support our anglers, weigh-in will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Lake Mattoon Beach Pavilion.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the incredible moms who support our Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg Bass Fishing Team anglers!

From early morning launches and long tournament days to hauling gear, snapping photos, and being the loudest cheerleaders on the water—your dedication does not go unnoticed. You are the behind-the-scenes crew that helps make every cast, catch, and memory possible.

Thank you for the countless hours, unwavering support, and for raising such hardworking, respectful young anglers. We are grateful for all that you do!

We hope today you get to relax, be celebrated, and maybe even enjoy a little time on the water yourselves. 💙🎣

🎣 SAVE THE DATE 🎣

The Illinois High School Association Bass Fishing Regionals will again be on Lake Mattoon!

🗓 Thursday, May 14th
⏰ Take-off: 7:00 AM
📍 Weigh-in: 2:00 PM at the Lake Mattoon Beach Pavilion

The WSS team is excited to host talented high school anglers from across the area as they compete for a chance to advance!

A huge thank you to Friends of Lake Mattoon for providing hot dogs and chips for all participating anglers and coaches.

We encourage parents, grandparents, school officials, and members of the lake community to join us at weigh-in to cheer on these hardworking student anglers. There’s nothing better than a crowd at the scales!

Come out, show your support, and help us make it a great day on the water! 🎣💙

Meet senior, Myles Verdeyen!

How long have you been on the team? All 4 years
What is your favorite lake to fish? Lake Shelbyville
What is your biggest catch: 6.5 lb largemouth bass
What is your go-to bait? Texas Rig Beaver 4.20 or Green Pumpkin Jack Hammer
What is your favorite tournament snack? Peanut butter crackers
What are your plans after graduation: To enter the workforce
What advice would you give to a future WSS bass team member? Always keep your head up.

Meet Senior, Kaylin Saunders!

Years on the Bass Team: 4 years
Favorite lake to fish: Lake Mattoon or Lake Shelbyville
Biggest Catch: 5.8 lb bass
Go-To Bait or Lure: Texas rig
Favorite Tournament Snack: Fruit
Plans After Graduation: She plans to attend Lake Land College in the Agricultural Transfer program before transferring to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to pursue a degree in Agricultural Education.
Advice for Future Bass Team Members: Her advice to future bass team members is to stay patient and keep a positive attitude, even on tough days. Fishing won’t always go your way, but that’s part of the process. Communicate with your partner, trust each other, and always represent your team well. It’s about more than catching fish, it’s about building character.

What a great day for Windsor Stew-Stras Bass Fishing at the Okaw Valley Open Tournament on Lake Shelbyville!

Out of a field of 30 boats, our teams showed up and made us proud—bringing home 1st, 3rd, and 5th place finishes! 🎣

Windsor 1
Boat Captain: Coach Pat O’Dell
Anglers: Heath Westendorf, Josh Morlan, Hank Verdeyen
➡️ 5 bass, 12.5 lbs — 🥇 1st Place

Windsor 2
Boat Captain: Brad Verdeyen
Anglers: Myles Verdeyen, Carson Renner, Alex Corrie
➡️ 5 bass, 9.48 lbs — 🥉 3rd Place

Windsor 3
Boat Captain: Eric Saunders
Anglers: Kaylin Saunders, Elliot Greuel

Windsor 4
Boat Captain: Josh Porter
Anglers: Hayden Porter, Max Mueller
➡️ 4 bass, 7.81 lbs — 5th Place

A special shoutout to Heath Westendorf for bringing in Big Bass of the day at 3.47 lbs! 🏆

We are incredibly proud of all four teams for their effort, sportsmanship, and representation today.

A huge THANK YOU to our boat captains—your time, dedication, and willingness to spend your weekends on the water make this program possible. We truly couldn’t do it without you.

And thank you to Dave and Kathy Doty and the Okaw Valley team for hosting such a well-run and enjoyable tournament for our anglers.

Great job, team! 👏🎣