Bass club going to nationals

University Bass Club members Tyler Fisher, left, a senior business management major, and Matthew McClellan, right, a senior kinesiology major, hold up their catches during a weigh-in at the National Guard FLW College Fishing Texas Division Regional Championship.

University Bass Club members caught a big one: a chance to compete in a national fishing tournament.

Seniors Tyler Fisher, a business management major from Flint, and Matthew McClellan, a kinesiology major from Tyler, are scheduled to participate on April 7-9 in the 2011 National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship in Kentucky.

Fisher and McClellan qualified by finishing in the top five at the National Guard FLW College Fishing Texas Division Regional Championship on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Nacogdoches held in October.

Participating in the tournament for the first time, they beat teams from Louisiana State University-Shreveport and Stephen F. Austin State University among others.

Jameson Adams, recreational sports program coordinator, said competing in this tournament was great exposure for the University.

"It was our first big competition, and it was nice we were able to perform so well."
Fisher said the tournament rules allowed each two-man team to catch and weigh in three fish per day per member, with the object being to accumulate the most weight.

He said by the end of the first day, he and McClellan were in eighth place with a total of 12 pounds.
He said they knew by the end of the second day of fishing with a total of 21 pounds, they had qualified for the national tournament. He said knowing this made the last day of competition more relaxed.

"The pressure was off, and we just went fishing," he said.
Fisher said Lamar University won first place, with Texas A&M University finishing second.
"We placed third overall, missing out on second place by only three ounces," he said. "That cost us a lot of money. We won $11,000, but second place received $25,000."

Adams said $5,500 of their winnings went directly to the bass club.
"We are currently discussing how to appropriate the other $5,500," he said. "We are considering offering a bass-club scholarship."
McClellan said their winnings would really help their club since it receives no funding from the school.
Both Fisher and McClellan are founding members of the university bass club, which began in fall 2009 as an official student organization and recreational club sport.

Kentucky's Murray State University is sponsoring the upcoming event to be held on Kentucky Lake.
The first-place team prize for the tournament is $50,000 for their school and $25,000 cash and a Ranger 177TR bass boat for their fishing club.
In addition, the club is guaranteed a spot in the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing to be held on Aug. 11-14 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark.

Fisher said he is really looking forward to the upcoming tournament.
"It's a new lake, a new place to fish," he said. "I love a new lake because you can just go fishing."
He said when you are fishing in a new place, you don't know where the so-called good spots are, so you can just have fun and fish.
McClellan said it's exciting to represent the University at the national level.

"I think we have a good shot at winning," he said. "There were locals on the lake in the regionals, but there's only one team from Kentucky participating in the national tournament. With the local advantage taken out, that's key."
"FLW Outdoors" on the Versus channel is broadcasting highlights of the regional tournament from noon to 1 p.m. on Dec. 5. To view videos of the regional tournament, go to collegefishing.com and click on the Texas Regional link or check out UT Rec Sports on Facebook.