UCF wins collegiate bass fishing title

Two members of the UCF Reel Knights bass fishing team came back to Orlando with a championship trophy, and it's a keeper.

Miles "Sonar" Burghoff and Casey O'Donnell beat out 144 other college teams at the 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship in Dallas, Texas last week.

According to Burghoff, the tournament is the largest collegiate bass fishing championship in the nation.

Burghoff and O'Donnell arrived in Texas on May 22 and practiced for two days before the start of the tournament. They fished for about nine hours each day, according to Burghoff.

The win provided a great boost to the Reel Knights club at UCF.

According to its website, the Reel Knights club was established in the spring semester of 2006 and is dedicated to preserving the sport of fishing.

Reel Knights Bass Team President Chris Bozas said the championship win is a sign of good things to come.

"This is the first time the UCF Bass Team has ever won a tournament, and it couldn't have come at a better time," Bozas said. "As our club and team continue to grow every year, this win puts us at a new level."

The duo had never fished together before the championship, but, according to Burghoff and O'Donnell, they worked well as a team.

"From the first day of practice to the end of the tournament, we were having a great time," said O'Donnell, a junior marketing major.

Burghoff, a senior marketing major, said the keys to victory were both work ethic and working together with teammate O'Donnell. Burghoff said he has been fishing from a young age and has competed in more than 60 tournaments.

Burghoff and O'Donnell said they won a total of $6,500 for the Reel Knights club, as well as fishing products, such as jigs and lures, a traveling trophy and an opportunity to advance to the Bass Federation National Championship, which will take place next spring.

Burghoff said he prepared for the tournament by researching the lake they would be fishing at, as well as researching the seasonal pattern of the fish.

"Fishing is a very personal sport," Burghoff said. "It's based on your experiences and how you put the puzzle together."

Both O'Donnell and Burghoff said the Texas lakes were much different to fish compared to Florida lakes; although they said it didn't take them long to get used to the change and develop a fishing pattern.

In addition to the change in lakes, the two also faced intense weather, according to tournament director Wade Middleton.

"This year's winners truly impressed me with their preparation and execution under the toughest conditions this event has ever been faced with," Middleton said. "The week started off with heavy rains, hail and even tornadoes; however, UCF never wavered or quit, and that determination and drive allowed them to be crowned this year's national champions in a very deserving and decisive manner."

Their catch on the first day weighed in at 17.07 pounds. On the second day, the duo added 10.85 pounds, finishing out the competition with a total of 27.92 pounds.

The team from the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff placed second with a total of 25.67 pounds.

According to the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship website, the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Series will be televised on Versus beginning the last Sunday in July at 2 p.m.

Both O'Donnell and Burghoff said they are excited for the Bass Federation National Championship next spring and encourage others to join the Reel Knights club and get involved in fishing.

"It's such a great family sport, and it's a great way to spend time with friends. The memories you can have during fishing will last you forever," O'Donnell said.