The bass sports club earned third- and 10th- place finishes at the Southeast regional championship in the National Guard FLW College Fishing Tournament Oct. 21-23 at Lake Monroe, Fla.
Anglers Shaye Baker and Jordan Lee finished third with 31 pounds, qualifying for nationals in April and winning $5,500 for the club. Caleb Rodgers and Kiron Browning took 10th with 13 pounds.
Baker and Lee did well after a slow start, said team adviser Jann Swaim.
"It was a tremendous effort, considering they were in 10th or 11th after the first day," Swaim said. "So it was a good effort on their part to finish where they did and make it back to nationals again."
Lee said he was pleased with their third-place finish.
"We were both excited," Lee said. "Top five was just as good as first place to us because you get to move on to the next level."
Baker, who placed third at nationals last year, said he is ready to compete again.
"We were one pound shy of the $100,000 mark last year, and that qualifies you for the next level, so we're trying to get there this year," Baker said.
To prepare for nationals, Baker and Lee will make trips to Knoxville, Tenn., where nationals will be held April 10-12.
"You wouldn't think you could practice much for fishing, but each lake sets up differently," Baker said. "There are places fish congregate depending on the time of the year, so we're going this winter to narrow down where we want to fish during the tournament."
Baker compared preparing for a tournament to doing schoolwork.
"You do a lot of research for it," Baker said. "There's no end to how much stuff you can do before you get to the lake. A lot of work goes into it prior to getting out there with a rod in your hand."
Lee said the best way to make improvements is to stay sharp.
"Every day we go out and learn something new just by putting in time on the water," Lee said.
The club will host the Fall Classic Tournament at Lake Martin Nov. 18-20, where about 30 colleges will be invited to compete.
Baker said the team is getting ready to host this event, as well as practicing for qualifiers for the spring traveling team.
"We're going to work on mental preparation for a tournament," Swaim said. "The second thing we're going to be working on is how to work together as a team and communicate better and try to put personal goals aside and look for the goal of winning for Auburn University."
Working with a team on a traditionally individual sport is beneficial, Lee said.
"I fish all around on my own, but with the Auburn team, it's about the camaraderie of all the guys," Lee said. "It's kind of like our own fraternity."
Traveling is an added bonus, according to Baker.
"We've had the opportunity to travel all over the country fishing for the University," Baker said. "That's probably been the best thing about it, is getting to travel around as much as we have and not having to pay much."
Club members include 35 men and one woman. The team holds qualifiers before each tournament to determine the top eight who will represent Auburn. Membership is open to all Auburn students.
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