Dalton Tam Posted November 17, 2009 Posted November 17, 2009 I finally got the chance to go to a FLW Collegiate Weigh in the other day in Nachitoches, LA. It was the Texas regional championship. My question to you all would be how the heck do you guys get boats like that? I mean I've got a 16 foot skeeter and I plan to fish in college but I'm not sure how to go about getting a larger boat unless my dad or my grandfather let me use theirs. I was wondering if your college provides the boat or if you get money from your sponsors. As you can see I'm just trying to figure all this stuff out and depending on the answers I get might sway me towards a college destination. All I can say is that I'm not very rich.... I mean I'm not poor but to go out and get a 22' Ranger is a pretty impossible task for me to accomplish by the time I head off to college. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Quote
etommy28 Posted November 17, 2009 Posted November 17, 2009 the pros provide them. it is a really good set up, what school are you going to or looking at going to. I fish for FGCU in south west Florida Quote
mwbrown Posted November 17, 2009 Posted November 17, 2009 I feel like FLW is the way to go for college fishing, they give you an allowance as well. I'm thinking about tryin to start get my school into it but i don't really know many people at URI who bass fish. Quote
Dalton Tam Posted November 18, 2009 Author Posted November 18, 2009 Quote the pros provide them. it is a really good set up, what school are you going to or looking at going to. I fish for FGCU in south west Florida I'm looking at Northwestern State University, University of Laffayette Louisiana, and Louisiana Tech. Whichever I can get the best scholorships and whichever serves me the best in bassfishing Quote
etommy28 Posted November 18, 2009 Posted November 18, 2009 all those schools have good teams, i gotta convince some of you guys from out that way to came down and fish in south florida at my school Quote
Dalton Tam Posted November 18, 2009 Author Posted November 18, 2009 Does Florida give you a bass boat to fish out of? also I was wondering if they the sponsors at your school provide gas, line, lures and eating money for traveling? Quote
b.Lee Posted November 18, 2009 Posted November 18, 2009 Quote Quote the pros provide them. it is a really good set up, what school are you going to or looking at going to. I fish for FGCU in south west Florida I'm looking at Northwestern State University, University of Laffayette Louisiana, and Louisiana Tech. Whichever I can get the best scholorships and whichever serves me the best in bassfishing My best advise to you as a recent college kid who played a collegiate sport. Go to the Best College you can get into, do not base your decision in which school to attend by there bass fishing clubs. That is the most idiotic way to decide to go to school. Example, if you can get into Georgetown, but decide to go to a school that has bass fishing as opposed to Georgetown that doesn't, you are just cutting yourself short. If anything start a program at your new school, by doing this you are: 1. Doing yourself a favor, by going to the best ranked school as possible. Without deciding it based on Fishing. 2. You are spreading the word about bass fishing and new clubs. I guarantee if you bass fish and attend somewhere, someone else will also. 3. The pure enjoyment of starting a program and possibly winning your first year out. You will get so many sponsors, it is ridiculous. I started a paintball club at my school, and in our first year was National Collegiate Paintball Champions, we were champions for two years running, unfortunately I graduated and the program fell through. I payed out of pocket my first year to win our championship, our second our school and sponsors payed our way around the whole next year. Do yourself a favor man, study hard and play hard later. College is a place to get your future not have fun. If you are able to balance the two then good for you. But earn your degree to make the money so you can play hard later when you are rich . Wow I'm old enough to give advice now LOL!! But seriously, do well in school man, you won't regret it later. I've seen too many kids party hard or let there sport take over them, just to find out later what a waste of time it was. I mean why do most collegiate football and basketball players go to college, because there are no guarantees in life. The last thing I have to say: By going to the biggest and best school possible, that is equal to money. Bigger schools have more money. So by law in school clubs, you are allocated a certain amount of funding by starting a new "Club". And if you can prove to the school, that this is possible money making and good exposure for their benefit equals more money. Unfortunately, for me paintball is bigger in the East Coast Schools, so I had to prove to my school, which we did, the exposure we received. Lucky for you collegiate bass fishing is televised, with huge sponsors like Wal-Mart. Choose wisely man, because your future also rests in your hands. I don't mean to bad mouth any school out there with fishing clubs, and I don't know how Georgetown compares to the schools he listed, it was just one of the top schools I could think of relative to your guys area. Just reminding him we are going to school for a degree not for fishing. Quote
etommy28 Posted November 18, 2009 Posted November 18, 2009 I go to Florida Gulf Coast, a small state school in south west florida. We are currently working with the school to get money for gas, travel, a boat, ect. we are a new club, only being in our 2nd year. read the post above mine, there is some good info there. Quote
b.Lee Posted November 18, 2009 Posted November 18, 2009 Quote I go to Florida Gulf Coast, a small state school in south west florida. We are currently working with the school to get money for gas, travel, a boat, ect. we are a new club, only being in our 2nd year. read the post above mine, there is some good info there. Hey I appreciate that, I put a lot of though into that. Actually since paintball is mainly an East Coast dominated collegiate sport, kids contact me all the time from different west coast schools asking for advice. Just goes to show what you can accomplish. On a even better note, unfortunately given our area our school systems are very, how shall I say, not open to new "ideas". So having a paintball club was a huge struggle for many of the West Coast Schools. Given your geographic area and the backing of many large Fishing Organizations (FLW Central, East, BFL, etc), and the rich bass fishing culture out there, I take more people fish out there then here (pure speculation), it would be some what easier to start clubs for Bass Fishing. Unfortunately it will always be a club and not a sanctioned NCAA sport. Given why also there are more Collegiate Bass Teams in the East, again given the school history and money they can afford to give some money to what they may consider "silly" clubs. [edit]Political reference removed[/edit] Quote
b.Lee Posted November 18, 2009 Posted November 18, 2009 Quote I feel like FLW is the way to go for college fishing, they give you an allowance as well. I'm thinking about tryin to start get my school into it but i don't really know many people at URI who bass fish. Technically you only need yourself and another person. Quote
mwbrown Posted November 19, 2009 Posted November 19, 2009 Quote Quote I feel like FLW is the way to go for college fishing, they give you an allowance as well. I'm thinking about tryin to start get my school into it but i don't really know many people at URI who bass fish. Technically you only need yourself and another person. True, but I'm pretty sure that you have to have a registered club/team at your school and at my school to do that i believe you need at least ten people, but maybe I'm mistaken I'm definitely going to look further into it. Quote
b.Lee Posted November 19, 2009 Posted November 19, 2009 Quote Quote Quote I feel like FLW is the way to go for college fishing, they give you an allowance as well. I'm thinking about tryin to start get my school into it but i don't really know many people at URI who bass fish. Technically you only need yourself and another person. True, but I'm pretty sure that you have to have a registered club/team at your school and at my school to do that i believe you need at least ten people, but maybe I'm mistaken I'm definitely going to look further into it. A great way to also get your foot in the door is to find staff or professor who happens to like Bass Fishing or fishing and they could be your club advisor. It helps a lot, since they know people (hopefully) and it shows that the staff has some interest as well. Good luck to you. Oh, you can create a "Fishing" Club, but have a tournament side of it. So you can have a large number of members which may get you by. It is how I started Quote
mwbrown Posted November 19, 2009 Posted November 19, 2009 Ya, that sounds like a plan I have experience and also enjoy saltwater fishing and being in Rhody a ton of guys do that as well, so I think I'll be able to break into it that way. Probably talk to the fisheries and aquaculture guys and see what they think. Thanks for the help. lemme know if you got any other ideas. Thanks -Mike Quote
b.Lee Posted November 19, 2009 Posted November 19, 2009 Well I am not sure what our schools procedures are, but let me know if you have any questions, I'll try and give the best advice I can. Again key is to find an advisor. Quote
ttufishinman Posted December 15, 2009 Posted December 15, 2009 all of the sponsors for our team either give us a discount or send us free baits. they dont really pay for gas or anything like that they just give us money basically for a spot on our jersey its a good setup but you have to sell yourself to the sponsors. the flw tournaments they have a pro drive you around in their boat they dont want you driving yourself for some reason. Quote
RobbyZ5001 Posted December 15, 2009 Posted December 15, 2009 I have been doing college fishing for 3 years now. If you want you can shoot me a PM. I will cover what I can think of off the top of my head. The majority of sponsorships are product discounts and free product. I know of a few teams who borrow boats from the manufacturer. I also know of a few teams who get an allowance, but those teams are slim to none. There are tournament series that do provide boats and many who don't. The FLW collegiate series will provide boats as well as the CBAA. Other tournament series such as Boat U.S., Under Armour, and all the other opens you need to bring your own boat or find a loaner. We have found loaner boats on a few different occasions. It is worth a shot, but it takes some sweet talking and some personal boating experience. Some of the waters are dangerous and if you tear a lower unit off your in deep. Much of our funding comes from our college. At Penn State our team is basically a school club. Every school club gets an allowance, and they will pay for food, gas, and hotel. The catch is that we need to get out vehicle information, hotel information, safety officers (many positions take training), and a lot of various other paperwork. It is a lot to keep track of, but it's worth it. Every college is different and approach clubs/teams differently. If you have any other questions that I didn't cover just PM me. I have been in the system for a little while and know the ropes to at least some degree. Quote
ttufishinman Posted December 19, 2009 Posted December 19, 2009 see my school (tennessee tech) is claiming they are going to reimburse us but they are only going to give us like 1200 a semester which is a good start its just our second year, but when you have to have fuel for 6 boats 6 trucks and a hotel room it starts to add up. ive had more fun my freshman year of college fishin than i have in a long time. this college bass fishin is a dream come true for me Quote
LCpointerKILLA Posted December 19, 2009 Posted December 19, 2009 Quote the pros provide them. it is a really good set up, what school are you going to or looking at going to. I fish for FGCU in south west Florida FGCU has one? d**n man I wish FAU did. Quote
bweave09 Posted December 21, 2009 Posted December 21, 2009 ya, underarmours website says that FAU has a team Quote
etommy28 Posted December 21, 2009 Posted December 21, 2009 guys, Im working on doing a true top 25 for my next blog, I would love help from the other college anglers. please send me an email at etommy28@comcast.net if you want to help limit 1 per school. Quote
LCpointerKILLA Posted December 22, 2009 Posted December 22, 2009 Quote ya, underarmours website says that FAU has a team no way! if that is for real then that is awesome Quote
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