Skeet Reese Blog: Bass Fishing Team Thrives at OSU skeetreeseinc/?p=1349 In the last few years, Oklahoma State’s bass fishing team has bounded ahead. The team has continued to grow, going from 14 with nearly 24 active members this season. (As posted in The Daily O’Collegian) Photo courtesy of Rana Rose Along with the increased membership, Oklahoma State is the first college team to be sponsored by a professional angler, Skeet Reese. Reese also visited and spoke to the team in the past. Recently, a change in how the team is operated has opened up the opportunity for more tournaments and more points. In past seasons, only two qualifying tournaments were offered. OSU will be able to participate in four qualifying tournaments this season. Tournaments usually begin in the morning, around 7 a.m. During the tournaments, two fishermen will spend around eight hours fishing on one boat. The fishermen have a five fish limit during the extent of tournaments. At 3 p.m., all teams return and weigh in their fish. Tournaments can also last longer than just one day, depending on the tournament. The team with the heaviest accumulation of fish wins the tournament, though some tournaments will give out a “Big Bass” award, which is granted to the team who caught the largest bass. These awards, unfortunately, come with a high price. Financial obligations for these tournaments often take their toll on the team. Most members also own boats, which greatly increases personal expenses. For these tournaments, each team member is given an amount of money to pay for expenses, such as transportation, gas and hotels. This money helps offset what each team member must pay to be active in these tournaments. “We put in a lot of long hours and money in order to chase our passion for fishing. We all sacrifice hundreds, if not thousands of dollars of our own personal money in order to achieve our goal, but for me and my partner Jacob Fish, this is what we live for so for me, its money well spent even though others see it as a waste of time and money,” said Vice President Cameron Deborde. When asked about sacrifices in the classroom, Deborde said, “What I mean by sacrifices in school is having to miss class quite often to attend tournaments and practice, but for me, I could not think of a better reason to “skip” class.” Class work is also another obstacle for members when traveling to tournaments. Since bass fishing is not as recognized of a sport, excused absences are not always granted. Regardless, Oklahoma State’s bass fishing team is a lively group. With the majority of members having fished for many years, there is a devotion that the team holds. “I am really honored to be a part of this program and being able to take part in the changes and growth that is taking place in this organization,” Sophomore Austin Sharp said. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds.” Many of the teammates have overlapping schedules and will do homework and study together. Members are able to enjoy the company of the other anglers and the networking aspect that comes along with that. The team has big plans for the future. Many members would like to see achievements like the duo of Blake Flurry and Zack Bridge who won the College Bass National Championship back in July 2012. Bridge has since gone on to fish semi-professionally. Students interested in joining can like the OSU bass fishing team’s page on Facebook. Meetings tend to vary due to tournament dates. The club offers yearlong open recruitment, with a $50 membership fee. Oklahoma State’s bright orange bass fishing boat will be on display during Homecoming week. Members will sell shirts and talk with those who visit. For more information, contact President Hunter Gregory through OSU’s campus link website or faculty advisor Dan Shoup at (405) 744-9671.
Posted on: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 06:04:09 +0000
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