The Daily O’Collegian

Philip Jones/O’Collegian

The fishing Pokes placed 2nd out of 83 in the second annual Boat U.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship in 2007 —nine spots higher than the team’s OU rivals. From left to right:

Casting a line gets less attention than throwing a football. But the OSU bass fishing team proves it doesn’t necessarily take a huge stadium to win games.

OSU’s rising fame in the sports world is not only on the basketball court — bass fishing is also on the rise.

Several collegiate teams have sprung up over the country in the past few years.

The Pokes created its team in spring 2006. Students Chris Cypert and Aaron Hoffman went to assistant professor Dan Shoup with the idea of starting the team.

“I was very impressed by their enthusiasm and thought the club was a good idea,” Shoup said. “I was already somewhat familiar with college bass fishing clubs from people I know who have been in clubs at other universities and thought it would be good for OSU to have a club. While tournament bass fishing is now common nationwide, Oklahoma is really in the heart of the part of the country where it all began and continues to be a strong geographic area for this activity. Therefore, it only seems natural that OSU should have a college team.”

Since late 2006, the team has been competing with schools from coast to coast and colleges closer to home in the Big 12 conference. The fierce rivalry between OSU and OU continues out on the boats where the bigger the bass caught means bragging rights and potential scholarships.

Club President James Elam said his most memorable moments occurred in the 2007 season.

“I will always remember beating OU,” said Elam, a landscape architecture senior.

At the second annual Boat U.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship in Lewisville, Texas, OSU placed 22nd out of a field of 83 and placed nine spots higher than OU.

Since OSU’s victory in 2007, OU has inched out ahead of the Pokes more than once.

A close loss happened in June at the Big 12 Bass Fishing Championship. OU placed first with a total catch of 50.13 pounds of bass while OSU received third with 35.47 pounds.

The best finish for the bass fishing team transpired in their first season at the 2006 Boat U.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship.

“We have fished in many other tournaments, but this has been our best finish so far and has brought a lot of recognition to our club…it was one of the first national events in which we competed,” Shoup said.

Teammates Elam and Brandon Pedigo weighed their fish in at 4.66 pounds and were able to win $4,000 in scholarship money at this competition. Financing the team can be difficult because the given university may not provide any financial support.

“In the beginning, it can be difficult to get sponsorship because bass fishing is not a well known sport right now,” said Orie Chambers, a construction management junior. “Once you find out who to talk to, it’s not complicated.”

Club members said they have learned lessons about life by participating in competitions.

“Being a part of the team has taught me organizational skills and forced me to learn the value of teamwork,” Elam said.

Other members said they feel they learned a lot about professional appearances in public relations while trying to secure sponsorship.

Bass fishing provides participants with the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while learning life lessons. It is a sport that has increased in popularity among the collegiate level but continues to teach home-grown values.