CORRECTION: The Instagram headline previously posted for this piece appeared to be misleading. The Auburn Bass Fishing Club has not yet won the overall national title. Their achievements were accomplished at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series. The Plainsman regrets this error.
The Auburn Bass Fishing Club has recently reeled in the attention because of its achievements at the College Bass Anglers Sportsman Society National Championship.
The team won two of four regular-season Carhartt Bassmaster tournaments. The tournament director, Logan Parks, won the title of "Carhartt Bassmaster".
"It feels good to bring the title back to Auburn," Parks said. "We had a dip in finishes and being able to compete during COVID so it felt good to come back and win ... "
Last year, the team was suspended due to COVID-19 regulations and miscommunications with the University. Because of this, members of the team traveled to compete, unaffiliated with Auburn University, but received consequences because of the travel ban in place.
Vice President Carson Maddux said the suspension was reversed after a meeting with the University was held. Now, Maddux said, they are ready to come back this season in full force.
The Auburn Bass Fishing Club is currently ranked second on the national level. President of the club, Brady Harp, said the goal of this year is to win first place in the national championship.
However, without the title of national champion, the team is usually ranked within the top five teams in the nation.
"I wanted to join the team in the first place because I loved fishing, wanted to make friends and saw this as a good opportunity to join more than a team, but a group of guys I can call my family and spend time doing something we love together, which is competitively fishing," Harp said.
The Auburn Bass Fishing Club is student-run and operated and there are over 150 members ready to compete in the fall.
All members of the team can compete in fall-qualifying tournaments and help work towards bringing home a national title for Auburn. In the spring season, the team travels to larger tournaments across the nation.
The Auburn Bass Fishing Club is a big part of why Parks and Maddux came to Auburn in the first place.
"I wanted to join the team because I've been fishing my whole life and I want to fish for a living after college, so it's a great stepping stone to become a professional angler," Parks said. "I actually chose Auburn because of the history of the bass fishing team. There are some really notable Auburn alumni that are pros now."
Maddux reflected this sentiment.
"I wanted to go to a school that had an established program," he said. "Auburn has been going strong since 2007 and has been top of the ranks ever since then."
The Bass Fishing Club has brought in many members from across the country, not only to join the club but also to attend Auburn University.
"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to fish what is basically a pro series," Harp said.
Harp said students who are a part of the Auburn Bass Fishing Club have to have maturity when it comes to schoolwork because they miss a lot of class to travel to competitions around the country.
"It's a whole different game for anyone that went from fishing in high school to fishing in college," he said. "It's a whole different level of competition."
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Harlee Meydrech, senior in public relations with a minor in business, currently serves as the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman. She previously served as the assistant managing editor and an editor in the culture section.
