If you go to school as bad as UNT, I completley disagree with the above statement!! However most seem pretty simple, lots of good schools out there pertaining to majors, not going to lie, an established fishing team would have to be there if I were doing it over!

I agree that a established team is nice. But in the whole aspect of things, your education is the most important thing. Very few of us will ever make it as proffesional anglers. I just enjoy the guys i met fishing college stuff, like brandon. If you have narrowed your choice down to two schools, and one has a good fishing team and one doesn't, than that is one thing. But dont go to A&M without looking at you options and how stong they are in your specific degree field, then thats antoher.

ok and lets make this clear, to "be on the team" is more or less a given, you are basically in a club. It is beating all the other guys and getting qualified to go to like the flw tourneys that is hard. Each team is a little different. Some schools don't hardly have any guys others are packed.

as for balanceing school and fishing it is a matter of what you expect from both... if you are just looking for a daploma then NOT hard at all, if you are looking to get in to grad school and need all A's then you won't be able to fish as much. i make almost straight A's and i am surprised at how much I get to fish
The think i do is plan my classes so I don't have class on friday, gives me more time for trips.

Each school is different If you have several guys who are interested in starting a team then it isn't that hard, at least it wansn't at angelo, lots of i's to dot and t's to cross, the devil is in the details. The biggest issue is probably getting guys who are willing to spend the time getting it set up

Brandon that sucks that it was hard at UNT I figured it would be easier at a big school.

My little bro has been on Tarletons team for 2 years now..He loves it...

Don't plan on being an engineering student cause you definitely won't have time to get your homework done!

I was in the bass club at SFA and fished for two years with those guys. Great guys and it didn't take up any more time or effort than I would have spent if I were just fishing on my own and not in the club. Just makes it a lot more fun and you will learn a lot more. The hardest part is finding a job that will allow you to work around school and give you saturdays to fish tournaments. That gas can add up fast for someone on a college budget.

Thanks to all of you guys. I've narrowed it down to a few schools and I think they all have fishing teams. The planning so you dont have class on fridays is a good idea. Still thanks to all you guys though I didn't know how hard it is and wanted some experienced answers.

Everything these guys said is just about right. I just graduated from the University of Arkansas last May, we won the National Championship in 2008.

Anyone can be on the team, but you can tell real quick who the players are. Usually only 2-3 boats get to go to the big tournaments, and we fish about one tourny a month for points to determine who the top boats are.

I did have some difficulty fitting in the fishing with everything, but it wasn't school that was in the way. It was everything else, jobs, fraternity parties (you can always retake a class, but you can't relive a party!), other commitments.

It was an absolute blast, I'm so glad that I was part of it. I had fished tournaments on and off, nothing big, but getting the channce to be part of several large 150-200 boat tournaments, and doing well, has given me the confidence to try a few of the tournaments after college, and hopefully continue a tournament career. Even if I never go full professional, just enough to have a good time, and get a check here and there.

Always remember you can start a bass fishing club anywhere and we'll be there to help you out so don't base your college future on where a program is in place now base it on our education.

Currently there are some great programs out there that are led by very passonate college anglers that I'm proud to call my friends now however they'll be the first to say that it's thier personal passions that have caused thier school to be as good as it is now and when thier gone someone has to step up to take thier place so if you've got a passion to bass fish we'll make sure your school gets a program going.

I look forward to meeting you and seeing you in our collegiate bass fishing events in the near future as college bass fishing and my support of it is only just now starting. If you've questions let me know and we'll help find the answers!

Wade Middleton
www.collegiatebasschampionship.com

I just graduated from the Univ. of Louisiana at Lafayette. I fished the National Championship in Arkansas in 08'. It was a blast. Got to meet other anglers my age from all over the country. From someone who went to school, worked full time, did my share of partying, and fished every minute possible, believe me... it can be done!