2023 Bass Fishing Alumni Tournament
Last weekend, the ESF Bass Team successfully held its second annual Alumni Tournament on Onondaga Lake. Though the weather was cold and damp, Onondaga Lake, our Mighty Oaks alumni, and current bass team members showed out.
The Alumni Tournament, which began last year as an annual event, is a Fall tournament designed to afford members of the team the opportunity to fish in a tournament, regardless of whether or not they have a boat or a car. The tournament pairs undergraduate team members with an alumni of the Mighty Oaks Bass Team for a day of tournament fishing on our very own Onondaga Lake. Nick Sanderson, current president and assistant coach, hatched the idea last year. "For undergrads, it can be difficult to get out on the water and do what we love to do without a car or a boat, especially in a new city without already having a serious fishing community around you. This tournament is tailored to fix that, introducing members to our accomplished alumni anglers, getting them out to fish in a competitive tournament, and the chance to win a few bucks and bragging rights."
Look no further for proof of this concept than the winners, the team of Brandon Exner (Class of 2021) and Erich Thompson (Freshman). The two took home first place with a total weight of 22.2lbs, besting the next closest team by almost 4 pounds. Exner, a local tournament guru, described the day: "We started out in the Seneca River in hopes to catch a few smallmouth to get our bag started. We ended up catching 20lbs of them by 9am and Erich even tied his personal best smallmouth!" Thompson, who had never fished off of a boat before, nor fished in a tournament, said "This was a really fun tournament and a great experience for me to meet people that are into bass fishing!". The team was the only one that brought smallmouth bass to the scales, making up three of their final five.
In second place, with a weight of 18.89lbs, was the team of Caleb Konrad (Class of 2019) and Matthew Norvilitis (Junior). "Even though the weather was miserable, Matt and I had an absolute blast this past weekend fishing the alumni tournament, which I now look forward to each Fall. We had to scramble all day and fish about every different bait and spot we could think of, but we're happy with the result on a tough day," Konrad said. Cold, wind, and rain, certainly made the day tough, with anglers also lamenting a low water level for October.
Nonetheless, the ESF Bass Team had a great event, allowing several new members to fish in their first ever tournament and once again introducing undergraduate team members to future mentors in their alumni partners. The team is proud to, for the second straight year, allowed all interested undergraduates the opportunity to fish the tournament. Sanderson summed up the feelings of the team, saying "We are extremely grateful to have such a supportive alumni community and look forward to next year!"