Bass fishing is a sport that can be taken in two different directions. Some use bass fishing as a way to spend a day on the water with the friends and relaxing. Some compete in tournaments and try to turn it into a career.

The Oregon bass fishing club started in 2005 and recently competed in at nationals in South Carolina on April 16. The club tied for 27th place out of 45 boats.

“The whole thing about college fishing is that it’s pretty prestigious,” Ryan Habenicht, a three month fisher with the club, said. “It’s a gateway to the biggest events in the world.”

There are two bass fishing series that are played in the United States and Habenicht describes them as the Super Bowl for the sport.

Daniel Marshall, vice president of the club, describes the bass fish as aggressive. The fish imitate what it eats like worms and little bait fish, according to Marshall.

“I consider myself a very versatile fisherman,” Jacob Wall, a one-year fisherman with the club, said. “You can go out there and never know what they are going to bite.”

Habenicht’s strategy going into tournaments is much simpler than Wall’s. It’s to catch as many fish as quickly as he can.

This past weekend, Habenicht and Wall competed in the western regional in Sacramento, Calif. Both placed sixth overall out of 20 by catching five fish weighing at 31 pounds and seven ounces. Eastern Washington University’s Laj Tripp and Kyle Sittman took first place.

The club competes in the Western division that consists of Oregon State university (who is ranked 20th out of 25 according to bassmaster.com), Chico state and Sacramento State.

“We’re building on the club and trying to make better by having fund raisers and sending more teams to tournaments,” Wall said.

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