What do a bunch of competitive bass anglers who enjoy hanging out together and just can’t get enough of chasing big largemouths do for fun? They head to the lake once a month for a little thing they like to call the “Friday Night Hog Fight.”

This is exactly what happened this past Friday at Pony Express Lake when about a dozen anglers piled into boats and hit the water. With high hopes of placing just the right lure in the right spot and catching a big one, the boats headed toward their favorite fishing holes .

The Friday Night Hog Fight is a friendly little competition club members put together last year. The event is held one Friday each month at Pony Express Lake.

“It’s a great way for both members and others who just may be interested in the club to come out and have a fun and relaxing evening” said Jeff Christiansen, Treasurer of the Club.

The “Hog Fight” combines a little competition and practice with a lot of fun. Interested anglers meet at the main boat ramp at Pony Express Lake and, at 6 p.m., begin fishing. This continues for three hours while everyone does their best to catch the one keeper that will place them at the top.

At 9 p.m., everyone returns to the ramp and the evening’s winner is crowned. After a few handshakes and some pats on the back, the fish stories start flowing. On this particular evening, it was Ray Wieneke, tournament director for the club, who came out on top with a largemouth that weighed just under 3 pounds.

The Friday Night Hog Fights are just a small part of the St. Joe Bass Club’s activities.

The club was founded in 1982 and currently has around 16 members, although the group is always looking for more. The club is a member of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) national federation and hosts sanctioned tournaments throughout the year.

Tournaments for the club are held throughout the region, including Lake of the Ozarks, Pomme De Terre, Stockton, Harrison County, Long Branch and Smithville. The top 10 anglers in the club then go on to the state tournament, which will be held in October at Truman Lake.

In addition, the club also participates in community events like weighing in the kids’ catch at the annual Savannah Fishing Derby and operating the catfish pond at the St. Joseph Sports Show. At the end of each year, the club hosts a banquet honoring the top anglers from throughout the season.

Those interested in finding out more about the St. Joe Bass Club can log onto to their web site at www.freewebs.com/sjbassclub. Anglers can also come to the club’s monthly meetings, which are held the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the D & G Restaurant on Frederick. The club is open to those age 16 or older, although minors must have the written consent of their parents.

Outdoors correspondent Jeff Leonard can be reached at outdoors@npgco.com