most successful college fishing programs, and it’s a trendsetter
that has led to additional colleges adding varsity fishing. Adrian
College, in Michigan, for instance, has a full-time bass fishing
coach, wrapped Ranger boats and a varsity team.
But it all started in west Tennessee.
the vision
Mason coaches a team of 25 student anglers, all of whom
receive some level of scholarship support from Bethel and all
of whom benefit from a substantial expense budget and a
fleet of five bass boats.
“Most college kids have to pay their tournament expenses on
their own, but we have a huge benefit because Bethel provides
our jerseys, our gas money and our travel expenses just like a
sponsor,” says sophomore business management major Kris
Queen, who fished solo at the 2016 National Championship and
finished 13th. “It helps that we can go to a tournament and know
that we can cover our expenses and just focus on what we have
to do – catch fish.”
Broadening the optics, Mason points out the benefit of
making opportunities available to bright young minds that
aren’t always placed in athletically gifted bodies.
“We realize that only about eight percent of high school
students all across the country get offered scholarship fund-
ing in their particular sport of choice,” Mason says. “When
you start offering scholarship funding for kids who love to
compete – but who aren’t necessarily going to get that for
their particular sport of choice – they come.”
That’s the cool thing about fishing: It’s open to all.
Case in point: Queen’s sister, Chelsey, became the nation’s
first female angler to receive a bachelor’s degree on a fishing
scholarship when she graduated in spring 2016.
Mason, who recruited the Queen siblings on the basis of
their performances in The Bass Federation and High School
Fishing events, says it’s all about getting more quality stu-
dents on campus.
Coach Garry Mason
heads up the
Bethel program.
Milestones and accolades
Since Bethel awarded the first school-funded fishing
scholarships in 2009, the club’s timeline has included some
notable accomplishments:
2010 – Lauren Stamps becomes the first lady angler to
receive a fishing scholarship.
2011 – Jason Arnold becomes the first collegiate angler to
earn a bachelor’s degree on a fishing scholarship.
2011 – Bethel wins the Southern Collegiate Bass Fishing
Series Championship.
2012 – Bethel wins its second consecutive Southern
Collegiate Bass Fishing Series Championship and the College
B.A.S.S. South Super Regional.
2013 – Bethel wins its second consecutive College B.A.S.S.
South Super Regional and the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing
Championship, ACA Collegiate Bass Fishing Open and
Bassmaster College Series Wild Card.
2014 – Bethel wins its second consecutive Bassmaster
College Series Wild Card.
2015 – Three Bethel teams make the top 10 at the first
FLW College Fishing College Open on Kentucky Lake and
qualify for the 2016 FLW College Fishing National
Championship.
2016 – Bethel finishes runner-up at the Collegiate Big
Bass Bash and FLW College Open, both on Kentucky Lake.
Another good example is Hunter Louden, a senior biology
major whose father, Kenny, now serves as the team’s assistant
coach. The younger Louden initially had planned to join his
high school buddies at another Tennessee school, but the lure
of a fishing scholarship was too great to resist.
“If Bethel did not have a fishing team, I probably would
not have gone here,” he says. “The scholarship was the main
reason I came here.”
Chelsey, who was recruited away from Eastern Carolina
University, makes an even stronger case for Bethel’s impact.
“They were able to give me a nursing degree, which I’m
going to be able to use the rest of my life to do what I love,”
she says. “I got that through my fishing scholarship, so I am
very grateful.”
hooks and books
Mason scrutinizes prospects’ angling backgrounds and
stresses the need for tournament experience, as well as the
ability to trailer, launch and drive a bass boat. He also
requires a resume, GPA, and ACT or SAT scores, with the lat-
ter requirements weighted as heavily as the former.
“I can teach kids a little about fishing, but I can’t teach
them how to study,” Mason says. “I’m looking for kids with
great study habits because I know that without those study
habits being instilled at the high school level, they’re not
going to make it all the way through college. I’m looking for
a good student first and then a good angler.”
Kris agrees and notes that, while sharpening angling skills
is certainly encouraged, catching fish has never been the top
priority. He says the Bethel culture goes much deeper.
“Our team has a set GPA standard to be able to fish,” he
says. “That drives us to do well in our classes so we can fish.
If we drop below a 2.0 GPA, we go on probation, and we’re
not allowed to fish.”
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