Bass fishing club to recruit new members

The IU bass fishing club is back on campus with a mission to improve and develop.

The club originated in 1989 and was the first bass fishing club to exist on a college campus. Since then, the club had a minor suspension due to an event in which an inappropriate photo was published from a tournament in 1995, but has again been restarted and has been running since the spring of 2007.

The club is open to anyone who enjoys fishing and wants to compete in tournaments.

“Our club is basically a group that is open to anyone on campus who loves getting involved and meeting new people as well as loving the sport of fishing,” said junior Jesse Schultz, president of the club.

Schultz said no experience is needed to join.

The club does most of its practice fishing on the local Lake Monroe and has special guidelines, which include using fake bait and throwing the fish back in the water after they catch them.

“We are not like the usual club that can go to a gym or field to practice,” said club vice president, senior Ryan Queen., “We actually have to take the time to go to a nearby lake and fish whenever we can.”

Tournaments are the main way the club competes and is represented. They participate in many tournaments, most recently the Minnow Bucket Tournament on Oct. 5 against Purdue on lake Waveland in Montgomery County.

“Even though we always want to beat our main rival Purdue,” said Shultz, ”all the players on the team are just out there to have a good time and enjoy the sport of fishing.”

Another recent tournament the club participated in was the Inner Club Tournament on Lake Monroe where freshman Zach Wojtowicz came away with first place. His two fish weighed in at a total of 6.12 pounds.

Besides the local Minnow Bucket and Inner Club Tournaments, IU’s bass fishing club has also been represented in various other tournaments.

Last year Shultz and former IU student Louie Keller represented IU’s bass fishing club at the ESPN 2008 Under Armour College Bass National Championship in Little Rock, Ark., with full television coverage.

IU placed 27 out of 54 schools.

Seniors Tyler Zschiedrich and Eric Boger represented Indiana well at this tournament by taking 36th place and weighing in a total of 17.45 pounds in fish.

The spring tournament the club is looking forward to is the National Guard FLW Fishing Tournament that, if won, could result in $50,000 dollars in cash and a boat for the club.

Although the club is still in a developing and learning state, the many tournaments and competitive involvement with other colleges is starting to put this club on the map.

“The club is still new and developing,” Shultz said. “Not only is the club a great way to meet people and experience something new on campus, but it is also a way to share with others the love of a common interest of bass fishing on a college campus.”