A California State University, Fresno Bass Fishing Club team has qualified for the 2011 Regional Collegiate Competition fishing title by winning the $10,000 grand prize in the National Guard FLW College Fishing Western Division Tournament on Lake Shasta.
Fresno State senior students Nicholas Thao and Che Yang boated six bass, weighing a total of 10 pounds, 7 ounces, to defeat teams from Arizona State, Cal Poly, Chico State and Sonoma State at the regional qualifier tournament Jan. 16.
They will now compete at one of five televised three-day National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championships April 10-12 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The top five teams from each regional championship will advance to the National Championship in 2011.
Thao is a public health major from Clovis and Yang is a business major from Fresno. They are coached by Robert Boyd, Fresno State’s associate vice president for facilities management and veteran competitive fisherman.
In September, another two-man team from the Fresno State Bass Fishing Club, Sarkis Davidian and Kong Moua, placed third at the Western Regional Championships on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Stockton, winning an $11,000 prize, after taking home $10,000 with a victory in the qualifier. They’ll compete in the nationals in April with a purse of $100,000.
The Fresno State Bass Fishing Club was formed in 2008 and has 40 members. Prize money is divided between equally between the university and the club. Boyd said the club’s winnings will be used to pay for future tournaments, expenses and equipment and the university’s share is available for a variety of purposes.
For more information, contact Boyd by e-mail at robertb@csufresno.edu or Joe Ostarello at fsfishingclub@gmail.com.
Related links:
