IU bass fishing club vies for the big catches

For the most part, fishing is a recreational activity that rarely involves too much competition. Once in a while, however, competitive fishing teams will sprout up. IU has its own bass fishing club that competes against other schools in the area and in the Big Ten.\nThe club started at IU in 1987, and IU was the first school in the country to have a college bass fishing club, said Club President Kipp Bolin.\n"From what I've heard, it was just a bunch of people that got together and liked to fish," Bolin said. "They got together and formed a club and would just go fishing together."\nAfter a couple of years, one of the members of the club transferred to Purdue University and founded his own bass fishing club there.\nToday, the IU club has about 30 people. The number has declined since two years ago when Bolin was a freshman, when he said about 50 people participated.\nBolin blames the decrease on a "lack of knowledge about the club," he said.\nThe group has a few competitions with other schools in the next couple of months. One of its biggest events will be against Purdue for the Minnow Bucket, for which both schools compete every year. The Minnow Bucket will take place March 25-27 on Raccoon Lake, north of Indianapolis. Bolin is optimistic about the club's chances of beating this year after its showing in last fall's Big Ten Classic.\n"We got third place at the Big Ten," Bolin said. "For the Minnow Bucket, we'll hopefully win and get the bucket from Purdue."\nAnother competition takes place the first weekend of April against Wabash College, Ball State, Tri State and Purdue.\nThe competitions last for eight hours and are split into four-hour segments. Each boat will have two fishers from different teams. For the first four hours, one person will fish at the front of the boat, where the fish haven't been disturbed, while the other fishes at the back of the boat, where the fish might have been scared away by the boat's movement. After four hours, the two fishermen switch positions. At the end of the eight hours the team with the most collective weight of fish wins.\nThe club's current home lake is Lake Monroe, but Bolin said he is looking for a new lake. One possibility is Lake Patoka, which is by Jasper, Ind.\n"The fishing (on Patoka) is a lot better these days," he said.\nIn addition to fishing in competitions, the club is also involved in both community service and fund raising efforts. One way members help with Lake Monroe is a roadside cleanup of State Route 446 by the lake. Members of the club have also volunteered at the Bloomington Recreation & Sports center, teaching children fishing safety and helping with casting competitions there. They will also fund raise for the club at the Indianapolis Boat, Sport, and Travel Show, which runs through Sunday. In addition, Bolin said the club works to recruit sponsors, who donate money and fishing equipment. \nBolin said the club is not all work. He said the competitions are a lot of fun. \n"A lot of it's just hanging out and having a good time," he said.\nBolin is hopeful to get more people into the club. The club fee is $15 per semester, and members should get involved and stay as active as possible so that they can earn points to compete in the tournaments. Anyone interested can contact Bolin at kijbolin@indiana.edu.\n-- Contact Staff Writer John Wustrow at jwustrow@indiana.edu.