Due to the hard work and dedication of a freshman, the Nicholls Bass Federation is the newest student organization on campus that cast off on Sept. 9.
Tyler Rivet, Freshmen Petroleum Engineer major, was into bass fishing since he was little and wanted to start a bass fishing league here at Nicholls, since other universities have this organization. He almost decided to attend the University of Louisiana at Monroe or Louisiana State University due to the fact that they have bass fishing leagues. Since Rivet decided to enroll here, he talked to Alyson Theriot, Assistant Professor of Education, to start up the league.
“I always watched it [bass fishing tournaments] on television, and I always thought of starting one up. I wanted to go ULM or LSU because they had bass fishing there, but I came here to Nicholls and decided to start one up,” said Rivet.
Once Theriot agreed to be the sponsor, the Nicholls Bass Federation took off with its 10 active members. This past weekend, Rivet and his teammate Cameron Naquin, freshman, traveled to Arkansas to have their first competition in a collegiate bass fishing tournament. At the tournament, there were about 50 teams that showed up to compete. This being the team’s first match, they came in twentieth place. Rivet said they went to get the experience of the tournament and to see how the team can improve for the next tournament.
The competition that the Nicholls Bass Federation participates in allows four members, two members per boat, to compete for their university. They have about six and a half hours to fish for five bass that are at least twelve inches long. The team with the most total weight for their five fish wins the tournament.
The organization just started this month and is already getting involved. The team received sponsors from outside sources to help pay for different things to get the organization started.
With the coming of a new organization comes with the promotion of the organization to recruit new members. If anyone is interested in becoming a member of the Nicholls Bass Federation, they can contact Theriot either at her office at 138 Polk hall or call her at 448-4339 or can contact Rivet. They are looking for members who have experience with bass fishing and can have access to a boat. Also, to be a member you must pay the $20 membership fee and be an active member of Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, fisher insurance for boaters, and Forrest L. Woods Outdoors.
Theriot not only wants the organization to do collegiate competitions but to also participate in local bass tournaments and to participate in activities around Nicholls. They are going to be at Family Day to show the campus the new organization and try to recruit new members.
Nicholls’ next collegiate tournament will take place in January 2014, giving the team more time to practice around the community and for the organization to grow with new members.