Bass Fishing Club encourages competition and enjoyment of nature

Nestled between the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, Western Carolina University is privileged to be near exquisite wildlife, rushing rapids, breathtaking nature walks, and so much more. With all these features, there must be a club that boosts activity around the area. 

The Bass Fishing Club, headed by Kyle Dillon, encourages members to enjoy the nature around them while also being competitive.  

Dillon, president of the club, weighed in on why he was attracted to this sport. 

“I joined this sport because I have done it ever since high school, competing at a high level for my school by qualifying for the national championship. Being in the atmosphere when you get to compete… and meet so many new people, I just knew I wanted to take it to the next level and fish for a university,” Dillion said. 

Club sports tend to have less of a commitment to practicing, but the club competes almost every weekend. The team only practices when there is a tournament coming up, but they put in hours at the lake when they are not busy with school and work.  

Dillon stated, “… we’ll stay down at the lake 8-10 hours a day sometimes. Unfortunately, absences aren’t excused, but it’s worth it.”  

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Bass Fishing Club, below are the social media handles for Instagram and Twitter. The roster for the current club members is also listed below. Get out and enjoy the outdoors! 

Instagram – @bassfishingclubatwcu 

Twitter – @WCUBassCats  

Bass Fishing Club Roster 2022-2023 

Michael Young 

Jacob Silver 

Noah Pressler 

Clayton Ott 

Kolby Kindley 

Robert Jobe 

Maitland Howard 

Isaac Bradshaw 

Jesse Mull 

Merit Kuykendall 

Kyle Dillon