Submitted by Shawn Callahan, University of South Carolina
As a member of the University of South Carolina Bass Fishing Team, I recently competed in the 2016 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional on Lake Martin in Alexander City, Ala. My fishing partner, Tom Brewbaker, and I were blessed to be able to put together a pattern that landed us in eighth place and qualified for the 2016 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship.
I’ve finally gotten the chance to sit down and collect my thoughts after accomplishing what Tom and I did. Many thoughts have run through my head, and I thought it would be prudent to share them with my fellow anglers instead of keeping them to myself. This is now my second official year fishing as a true collegiate angler on the competitive level.
I have never in my life finished anywhere near this high in any tournament.
First, I want to share some thoughts as a member of the University of South Carolina Bass fishing club, which has no direct funding as a sport from the school in the manner that a premier SEC football, basketball or baseball team might. Last year, we had no funding at all other than the fundraisers as a team we did in order to dole out an allotted amount of cash for each team for food, fuel, hotels and tackle. As many experienced anglers will tell you, fishing may just be the most expensive sport out there right now. My teammates and I regularly had to pay out of pocket even after receiving a stipend from our efforts to fundraise.
This year, after seeing just how expensive fishing can be, especially as college students, many team members and I worked extremely hard to find ways to finance our competitions. After all, college fishing is not just about winning. There is so much more behind it.
We wanted to get as many teams at these tournaments as possible. It is an incredible experience to be able to go to so many beautiful lakes and places in the country. It is also an opportunity to network with fellow anglers and companies that have a large presence in the fishing industry. Most of us will not be able to go on to fish professionally, but being able to network with companies that work so much in a sport we love so much is an opportunity that is just too great to pass up. So, as a team, we explored avenues of funding, whether that was bringing on new and incredible sponsors (such as Under Armour, the Rod Glove and Gambler Lures), re-upping with current sponsors who have been so great to us (such as Greenfish Tackle and ALX Rods), working with student government to fund hotels and fuel (the two most expensive parts of fishing tournaments other than boat repairs) or even attacking fundraising with new ideas and vigor.
All of this hard work has put many more of our teams out there in these tournaments and in a position to succeed.
Second, as someone still a bit new to tournament fishing, I would like to talk about how far hard work can get you. I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, where competitive bass fishing is something that sadly is not really talked about. The closest fishery we have is the Ohio River, which has been named one of the most polluted rivers in America. I grew up fishing in backyard ponds. I really did not know too much about what it was like to be competitive. When I made the decision to go to South Carolina, I really did not even find out about the fishing team until my sophomore year. As a prime SEC school, the fishing club takes a backseat to football, basketball, and baseball.
When I joined the team, I got to fish in a small team tournament. At age 20, I was picking up a baitcaster for the first time. I immediately fell in love with the competitive aspect. My then fishing partner gave me his oldest baitcaster rod and reel setup to practice with. I remember being out in the backyard picking backlash after backlash out of that old reel.
I got to fish my first tournament on Lake Okeechobee in the 2014 Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Regional. From that point on, I knew I wanted to fish competitively against some of the best anglers in the world. Over that summer, I worked two jobs, nearly 60 hours a week. By the end, I had saved up to buy a boat. Last year, I fished every tournament I could afford to go to. My fishing partner and I struggled through each one, yet as any good angler will tell you, the more time on the water we spent, the more we learned about fishing.
Although it was a struggle at each tournament and we did not place well, we had experiences we will remember for the rest of our lives. Fishing is not a job or a chore. Regardless of where you place, you get to do something you love. If you let your finishes get you too down, then you are in this sport for the wrong reasons.
After coming to this realization and putting in the time working to be able to fish, I decided to fish with Brewbaker as a co-angler for this tournament. He and I fished the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series last year and are going to be fishing it again this year, so we decided this would give us a great opportunity to begin learning the Alabama lakes. Because Tom and I put in the hard work to practice, research and gather knowledge about the lake, it allowed us to do well.
Putting in that hard work was a key to our eighth-place finish.
Finally, I want to talk about giving thanks. I got the opportunity of a lifetime. My parents supported me even when I was struggling through my first season. Our sponsors and teammates supported us as we started the season. We had the opportunity to represent The University of South Carolina, our teammates, our sponsors and our family names. There is no greater feeling to make those around us proud.
I would also like to mention the religious aspect of this event. Each day before we began fishing, once we got to our first spot, Tom and I took two minutes to say a quick prayer. This prayer was not only to ask for luck and success but to also be thankful. We as anglers get to experience God’s creation in all its glory when we are out on the water. Is there really any greater gift?