N Y T STUDENT JOUR NA LISM INSTITUTE, SATUR DAY, MAY 26, 2012

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For Jesters, First Win Is a Step To Playoffs

By EMILY BAYCI

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHI BROWN/NYT INSTITUTE

Matt Caire, at left, and Blane Ronquille navigate the bayou at night on an airboat looking for redfish and black drum. They fish with bows and arrows.

Taking Aim With a Bow and Arrow to Catch Fish in the Bayou
Continued From Page A1 fishermen use a compound bow similar to the ones commonly used in hunting and arrows with ropes attached. This lets the fishermen pull in the fish they shoot, and allows the arrows to be reused. Once the actual drawing and shooting of the bow are mastered, the sports most challenging aspect comes from a rather simple fact: The fish are moving targets. They dart around the boat, and with the water refraction, it is difficult to tell how deep they are. A fisherman has to track the fish visually and shoot a couple of inches underneath where it appears to be. When you shoot a fish, what they do is run to the back of the boat, bowfisher Justin Bourgeois said. So the captain has to pay attention, turn the boat around so you dont lose that big fish. Otherwise, your arrow can break off, your rope can pop, your bow can go into the water
ONLINE: BOWFISHING VIDEO

A video on night bowfishing, by Chi Brown:

nola12.nytimes-institute.com

and your whole nights shot after that. Bowfishermen might target redfish or black drum, which must be at least 16 inches long, as well as alligator gars, which are larger, and other species like flounder and sheepshead. On Ronquilles boat, his exclamation at the sight of a fish caused a metamorphosis among his passengers. The compound bow that felt heavy moments before became light, and the fishermen took a split second to complete the necessary action: pull, point, release. The arrow needed to be pulled back far enough to generate enough power to pierce the fish. Almost all missed their target and found only the mud at the marshs bottom. The one arrow that found its mark belonged to David Wallace of Summit,

A bowfisherman tosses a fish into the plastic-lined dumpster after a competition.

Miss. It was his second fish of the night, and his eyes gleamed as he pulled it from the water, his smile broad as he received congratulations from the others, including his father, Mark. It was the first bowfishing excursion for the father and son. The humidity caused clothes to stick to skin as Ronquille navigated through two feet of water. The smell of salt hung in the air. Hundreds of little fish jumped out of the water as Ronquille cruised close to the banks. That same night, 18 threeperson teams took part in the 18th Cajun Classic Bowfishing Tournament in Plaquemines Parish. Teams competed for cash prizes in two categories: the 20 heaviest fish and the most fish caught. The tournament ran throughout the night, and teams fished for trash fish, the term for species that are not commonly eaten, like carp and alligator gar. These fish can overpopulate bodies of water, and tournaments are one way to control their populations. The next morning, the boats and trucks lined up along the dock where the nights catches were to be weighed. The fish were counted and weighed, the numbers recorded by Angela Yedor, whose husband, Alan, is the tournaments director. They were then tossed into garbage containers, where they would be held until being sold to turtle and alligator farms. Angela Yedor learned bowfishing from her husband 10 years ago when she accompanied him on a fishing excursion.

A sheepshead fish that was shot with a bowfishing arrow.

Im so excited I cant stay in my seat, Angela Yedor said. I said, Can I try? and then that was it. Many tournament fishers make their living through bowfishing, often as charter guides. freeze up, Yedor said. Well, thats not true. The fish are moving constantly. Others worry that bowfishing is not catch and release, and some fishermen could catch fish that are undersized, which is illegal. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has also fielded complaints about boats being too loud, but over time, they have improved and many now make less noise. Back on Ronquilles boat, however, those concerns seemed far away. All was quiet throughout the night except for the low hum of the engine and the chatter in the back. The only concern as the boat cruised through the night was spotting that slight movement of color in the water. After four hours, Ronquille announced it was time to head back. The night and the jumping fish, however, seemed to be beckoning the men to stay longer, to have one more chance, one more shot.

Instead of casting a lure or fly, bow fishermen pull, point and release.
Alan Yedor is the vice president of the Bowfishing Association of America and has owned a charter business, Southern Style Bowfishing, for 13 years. His boat had broken down during the tournament and grease still coated his hands, but he was quick to defend the essential sport of bowfishing. Some people say that the lights on the boats is like deer in the headlights: The fish

With two minutes left in the May 19 season opener, New Orleans Jesters head coach Kenneth Farrell frantically paced the sidelines of Pan American Stadium. His soccer team led the Texas Dutch Lions 4-2, but that didnt matter; he was upset that New Orleans had given up two goals in the first place. Expressing his frustration, Farrell turned to the bench and said, You cant become a spectator. Even though the Jesters didnt allow any more goals and closed the win at 4-2, Farrell said after the game that he was still unhappy that New Orleans became lazy once it gained control of the game halfway through the second half. Farrell is nervous hell have a repeat of last season, when the Jesters missed the playoffs with a goal differential of minus four. New Orleans hasnt made it to the playoffs since 2009, and he wants this year to be different. But midfielder Sam Hurrell, who scored the defining goal on a free kick, thought the Jesters win was motivating for them. Hurrells goal was a clean shot, and his teammates mobbed him. The goal pushed New Orleans to a 4-1 lead, which, Hurrell said, made the team feel more comfortable. The Jesters allowed one more goal 77 minutes into the game, which Farrell was not happy with. Farrell said the Texas goal in the first half was permissible because the Jesters were still figuring out the Dutch Lions system. Once a plan was determined that New Orleans should use its midfielders and fullbacks as attackers, which would force Texas to play short and on the inside there was no excuse for the Dutch Lions to score. We know we have to minimize the goals, Hurrell said. We want to keep the sheets as clean as possible. Most of the six goals were notched as a result of flurries of activity and aggressiveness in a game that had multiple roughhousing situations. One yellow card was handed out to Hurrell in the beginning of the first half after he collided with a Dutch Lions player. I thought it was a physical game on both sides, Farrell said. I like when the refs keep the cards in their pockets and let the soccer ball do the talking. Farrell was content with the win, but is ready for improvement as the minor league soccer team plays five of its next six matches on the road. This begins a journey for the Jesters that is bigger than them, Farrell said. They need to remember that theyre representing themselves, each other, the game, the league, this franchise, this city, Farrell said. Their mistakes, their decisions, its not about just them. We cant let anything slide.

Absent Brees Is Focus of Charity Game

By ANTHONY CAVE Almost 50 New Orleans Saints took part in a charity softball game on May 16, but the focus was on the players who were not there, most notably quarterback Drew Brees. Brees was in the midst of contract negotiations with the team, which, he said during an interview with WWL-AM radio station on May 16, has been extremely frustrating. The Saints began organized team activities on May 22, with Brees sure to be absent until a deal had been completed. Until then, Chase Daniel will take over as quarterback. Right now, its a great opportunity for myself to go in, show the type of skills Ive progressed, said Daniel, who joined his teammates in the softball game to benefit the Heath Evans Foundation, which works with victims of sexual assault. Obviously, Drew runs the ship and Im just here to get ready, he said. Daniel won the opening home run derby before the Saints offense beat the defense, 23-20. This off-season stands in stark contrast to last year when Brees and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who is currently appealing a one-year suspension for what the NFL says was his part in the Saints bounty program, organized team workouts during the NFL lockout. Two former Saints also suspended for their roles in the bounty program, Green Bays Anthony Hargrove and Clevelands Scott Fujita, attended an arbitration hearing in New York on May 16. Hargrove, Fujita, Vilma and the Saints Will Smith, who was also suspended, are appealing their discipline. The players union is arguing that Commissioner Roger Goodell cannot punish the players for any actions that occurred before the leagues new collective bargaining agreement, which was signed last August. I dont know if were missing anything, said safety Malcolm Jenkins of the absent players. I think what its causing us to do is have other guys like myself and Roman Harper, some young guys step up and be leaders. While the Saints have to wait on the appeals of the four suspended players from the NFL, the deadline for the negotiations with Brees is July 16. A franchise player, which is what Brees has been designated, cannot sign a long-term extension after that date. We just want Drew to do whats best for him, tight end David Thomas said.

Jeremy Schaffer of the Tulane Green Wave swinging at a pitch against Marshall on May 17. Tulane won this game, the first of the series, 3-1. The team wasnt as successful in its May 19 matchup, its final regularseason game, losing to Marshall, 10-0.

CHI BROWN/NYT INSTITUTE

Despite Loss, Tulane Gains No. 3 Seed

By ALEXANDRIA VALDEZ The Tulane Green Wave finished its regular season at Turchin Stadium with heartbreak as it lost 10-0 to Marshall on May 19. But all was not bad. Even with the loss, Tulane locked a No. 3 seed going into the Conference USA championship. If the team wins the conference championship title, it will advance to NCAA play for the first time since 2008. Even if the team loses in the conference tourney, it could get into the postseason playoff with an at-large bid. Head coach Rick Jones knew that the team did not perform at its best on May 19. Theres no way to sugarcoat it, Jones said. Obviously, it was an extremely disappointing day. If somebody had told me it was going to be a 10-nothing score, I certainly wouldnt have bet on us. Trouble escalated at the top of the third inning as starting pitcher David Napoli continued struggling with his mechanics. After three runners made it on base, pitcher Alex Massey substituted in for him. Marshall proceeded to go on a five-run scoring streak, ending the inning on a line base drive from infielder Alfredo Brito. Marshalls success was re-

DACIA IDOM/NYT INSTITUTE

New Orleans Saints football players watch teammates compete in the home run derby at the 2012 Softball Showdown.

flected in its 16 hits and strong defense. Outfielder Isaac Ballou, with two hits and four RBIs, batted three times before Tulanes No. 9 hitter, Troy McCartney, even came to bat. Missing again from the Green Wave lineup were third baseman Garrett Cannizaro and outfielder Brandon Boudreaux, who were injured last weekend in Houston. Jones said that both of their statuses were still day-to-day, but Cannizaro was feeling better. Tulane will travel to Pearl, Miss., next weekend for the Conference USA championships.