ESF Bass Fishing Team Prepares for Upcoming Season
The ESF bass fishing team is gearing up for its upcoming season.
The biggest event for the team this year will be the Bass Fishing National Championship at Wheeler Lake, Alabama. The event, which begins May 31, will be attended by Ethan Hall and Ray Bentz, qualified for the event by winning the New York State Bass Fishing Federation Collegiate Cup last October.
In addition to preparing for the FLW National Championships and other local club derbies, the popular ESF club has formalized its structure in an effort to attract more student interest and potential sponors. So far, the reorganization has been successful with over 20 students now involved in the club and the addition of three new sponsors. These new sponsors are Rapala, Simms Fishing and TackleWarehouse.
"We've come a long way in four short years. Now we're headed to the national championship in two different collegiate bass fishing tournament trails against some of the biggest colleges and universities in the country. We've shown our fellow New York teams that we are the team to beat. Now it's time for the rest of the country to see what we are capable of doing," said Head Coach Gerry Pinkley.
Team President Caleb Konrad is optimistic about the season. "I'm extremely happy with the way the team is shaping up so far this season," he said. "We are finally organizing the club and really pushing it to the next level in order to ensure ESF will be here to stay and will be ready to compete with the top universities across the country."
In addition to competitions, the club members have plans for some local waterway cleanup projects.
The bass fishing season begins April 29 at the YETI FLW College Northern Division competition in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. The season runs through October.