WSU fishing team goes to regional championship

As a person who has fished only a handful of times, fishing in my mind has always been associated with quiet lonely vigils where a person can commune with this thoughts.

But there is competitive side to the sport I'm just beginning to learn about. Winona State University students Cade Laufenberg and Zac Cassill are heading to a regional championship hosted by Southern Illinois on Oct. 6 through 8 on Lake Kinkaid. I'm looking forward to interviewing them and learning more about how they got into competitive fishing.

Aside from the enjoyment the sport brings, the competitions offer a chance to win a little money. By taking third in the National Guard FLW College Fishing Central Division last June, the WSU pair earned the WSU Fishing Club a combined $2,000 donation. At the regional championship, they will have an opportunity to compete for $12,000 for the WSU Fishing Club, a $12,500 unrestricted donation and a Ranger 177TR bass boat valued at $25,000.

And should they reach the national championship, they'll get to compete for the really big money.