ON OUTDOORS SPORTS: Caputo wins fishing derby

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DeKALB – It wasn’t a buzzer-beater, but it was close.

With 20 minutes left on the clock at the 2009 DeKalb Rotary Fishing Derby, Northern Illinois University student Mario Caputo snagged the biggest catch of the day and a $100 prize at Rotary Park last Saturday.

“It was the perfect day and the perfect finish,” event chairman Brendon Gallagher said.

Caputo used a frog-jig bait on the surface to reel in a 14.25-inch large mouth bass. He was a first-time participant.

With the temperature near 80 degrees, more than 65 anglers cast a line.

"This event is a great way to start your weekend," co-chairman Joe Simons said. "This event is well organized and we are lucky to have such a great park in the DeKalb Park District."

Caputo will be honored at the Rotary meeting on Monday. He will be presented with his trophy, a check for $100 and dinner for two courtesy of the DeKalb Rotary Club.

The DeKalb Rotary Club meets every Monday at the Ellwood House Visitor Center. For more information, visit dekalbrotary.org.

Free Fishing Day

If you don’t have a fishing license but always have wanted to cast a line, then Saturday is your day.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has designated Saturday a “Free Fishing Day.” Any child or adult casting a line within the boundaries of a state park can do so without a license. This does not include Lake Michigan or on rivers that are outside the boundaries of state parks.

For a list of participating state parks, visit dnr.state.il.us.

The Human Race 2009

The 2009 Nike Human Race is back for its second year. The event takes place Oct. 24 worldwide and online registration is open.

The Nike Human Race is a multi-city event. Runners don’t need a central location, just to register and become part of the mass that is the Human Race. Last year, there were about 780,000 participants in more than 24 cities around the world.

I ran in the Chicago installment of the Human Race that started and finished at Soldier Field. It was a massive event that had a post-race concert but went of smoothly and was one of the outdoor highlights of my 2008 summer.

This year’s race doesn’t appear to be a grand undertaking, but should be plenty of fun nonetheless.

Visit Nike+ for more information and to register at: inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerunning_humanrace-en_GB/?register=true