By: Kameron Whitmore
Have you been interested in fishing, but you don’t have the resources? Maybe you do have the resources but didn’t know where to start. Starting this year at APSU, the intramural Bass Fishing club will let anyone join and the only fee you pay is $50. This began because the new president of the club, Thomas Rose, wanted to start a new culture that the team has never seen before.
With anyone able to join, this it will allow for more exposure for the club and the team around the campus. The club funds everything themselves and equipment is provided. You don’t need to buy a boat, a fishing rod or bait.
Rose has many projects and changes planned for the competitive club.
“What I’m doing right now compared to the old president is I’m getting a lot more guest speakers around that I know to come and talk to the team and teach them stuff, and me teach them things that I know and our adviser can also help us,” Rose said.
With Bass Fishing, a lot of people might not know how serious the sport can be. Pro Bass Fishing takes time, dedication and preparation. There are also things you have to learn while trying to fish competitively, such as learning the area in which you are fishing and deciding whether or not this is a good spot to fish.
There are important things to remember like what kind of bass fish you want to catch in order to win the weigh-in. Do you need smallmouth bass or largemouth bass?
A unique touch to the Bass Fishing Club here at APSU as compared to other collegiate clubs is the environment and family nature.
“We are closer and we are all friends and I know with other Pro Bassing Teams it can be political, kinda like in T-ball. When someone isn’t a better fisherman than the other but since that’s the coach’s son, I’m going to let him fish before the other teammates. At Austin Peay we don’t do that,” Rose said.
APSU also holds their own bass fishing tournaments. They let random club members do tournaments except for the collegiate ones. They determine who is going to fish in those by a point system they have here at APSU.
Rose expressed interest in pushing his team even further, and trying to promote it to the students more. He wishes for people to know more about the club and for it to gain more exposure.
