Students decided that they had enough of the typical run of the mill clubs this year, as several banded together to create Chapin High School’s first fishing club. Student fishermen started the club as an attempt to increase the student body’s knowledge of fishing techniques, and to weed out the fellow fishermen at Chapin. “We really just wanted to teach and spread the fun of fishing,” Junior Josh Rennenbaum said. Newly elected officials include Senior Devin Clark (President), Junior Zach Woodham (Vice President), and Junior Josh Rennenbaum (Secretary).
While the club is still in its early stages, future plans include monthly tournaments, instructional classes, and teaching better techniques for fishing. “We want to mix in a bit of competitiveness too though,” Rennenbaum added. Members of the club can expect rough competition, as many members have already attended events such as the Bassmaster Classic, mastered multiple fishing techniques, and fished diverse terrains. Rennenbaum wants, “Competition. I want to have fun fishing and at the same time be competitive with classmates.”
And while some clubs tend to stick to resources and connections within the school, the fishing club has decided to make some friends within the community. “DNR is encouraging schools to form fishing teams, which will make up a South Carolina league,” Clark said, “They want at least 16 high schools with fishing teams to participate. Coach Burge (sponsor of the club) has already informed DNR of our interest.” Clark also hopes to soon have club T Shirts in order to establish a more official look for club members. “We already held our first tournament on October 30th,” said Clark, “and we plan to have them at regular intervals, varying the target fish. Many will be held on Lake Murray at various landings. And we also plan on having a charity fishing tournament later in the year that will be open to the community, benefiting a local charity. Anyone who wants to join the club can contact a club official or just attend one of the meetings.” While the club’s goals are somewhat lofty, with 15 members and a rapidly spreading name, achieving all that the fishing club has cast out to do should be no problem.
