The inaugural Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) Fishing Team recently made its debut by competing in the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Series challenge at Lake Sam Rayburn in Jasper, Texas.
A total of 202 anglers competed in the event, with the three participating CLTCC members finishing in 25 , 40 and 55 place.
Michelle Ducote, team coordinator, said the team was created after several students with fishing team experience in high school or other schools asked if a team could be created. “CLTCC does not offer sports, but we wanted to give students who want that true college experience another option,” Ducote said. “We have our SkillsUSA competitions and the Student Government Association, and now we have a fishing team as a club sport option for students.”
Membership on the team is open to students at all eight CLTCC campuses. To date, six students have signed up to compete, four from the Alexandria campus, one from the Natchitoches campus and one from Leesville. The ages of team members range from 19 to 41, with most members being in their 20s.
Matthew Guillory, an electrical program student and the youngest member, is also the team captain. Guillory was a member of a fishing team in high school at Holy Savior Menard Central High School. “I have a love for it and fish whenever I get the chance,” he said.
The team is coached by Brad Moyers, a retired Army veteran and instructor in the Outdoor Power Equipment program at the Lamar Salter Campus in Leesville. When asked how he was selected to be the coach, Moyers noted, “I have a bass boat and a love for fishing.” But it was much more than that for Moyers. “I have a love for teaching students how to fish and how to work on motors – I have a love for teaching young people anything.”
As a start-up program, the team is seeking sponsors and donations. They team has already received local support, with Holloway Outdoors donating some equipment and Bill Lewis Lures offering to donate lures for the students to use.
Moyers said the team’s next scheduled competition will be March 7 at Indian Creek. That will not be a collegiate competition, yet rather the event is a fundraiser for a Pitkin young lady with medical concerns. “We will compete in as many events as possible,” Moyers said.
Ultimately, Moyers would like to see enough competitors from each of the system’s eight campuses that they could have a tournament pitting each campus against the others to determine an overall CLTCC championship campus.
And, in a nod to the Trace Adkins country music song “She Thinks We’re Just Fishin’,” Moyers noted there is much more to the fishing team than learning how to fish. “I spent 21 years and three months in the military, and I saw a lot of 19 and 20-year-olds in the unit,” Moyers said. “These young people are way ahead of their peers in terms of morals, work ethic, and values. Developing a hobby like fishing and hunting keeps them out of trouble getting into something else.”
Caption for attached photo: The Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) Fishing Team recently competed in its first Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Fishing Series event at Lake Sam Rayburn in Jasper, Texas. Inaugural team members include (from left) team captain Matthew Guillory, Ethan Price, coach Brad Moyers and Nathan Orlando.
Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) is a two-year technical and community college offering associate degrees, technical diplomas, industry certificates, and customized training in more than 20 disciplines to support local workforce development and prepare students for good-paying jobs. CLTCC serves 10 parishes in Central Louisiana through its eight campuses and provides instruction in three state prisons and two federal correctional institutions. For more information, visit http://www.cltcc.edu.
