Goin' fishin': Two Southeast students angle for national championship

A love of bass fishing on the part of John Parsons set the wheels in motion for Southeast Missouri State to have a unique distinction.

The university is the only one in Missouri with a bass fishing club, according to Parsons.

"I think that's pretty cool," he said.

Parsons, a 35-year-old Southeast student from Poplar Bluff, Mo., founded the Southeast Bass Anglers Sport Club in April. He serves as the group's president.

Parsons and fellow club member Todd Staley of Chatham, Ill., will represent Southeast at the ESPN National Collegiate Bass Tournament on the Arkansas River. The duo won a qualifier earlier this summer among fellow Southeast Bass Angler members.

Every one of the 33 collegiate bass clubs around the nation is scheduled to be represented by two anglers at the national competition, which will take place Sunday through Tuesday. Teams will be allowed practice rounds Friday and Saturday.

"It should be a lot of fun," Parsons said.

Parsons finished 12 years of service with the Army in 2002 and has attended college ever since. The political science major spent two years at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff and is in his second year at Southeast, where he is on course to graduate in May.

After coming to Southeast, the virtual lifelong avid fisherman heard about other colleges and universities having bass clubs.

"I'd heard rumors that there were teams. I'm a little old to play football, but I thought fishing would be great," Parsons said. "I talked to my faculty advisor for political science, Brian Smentkowski, about it. He said he's not much into bass fishing, but he said it's a good idea and he put me in touch with who to talk to."

Parsons learned that, in order to form a club at Southeast, at least five members are needed, along with a faculty advisor.

Parsons quickly found a faculty advisor in Marc Fulgham of the music department.

"He is an avid bass angler himself and was happy to do it," Parsons said.

Fellow music professor Barry Bernhardt has gotten on board this year as an additional faculty advisor, Parsons said.

After attaining the required club membership, the Southeast Bass Anglers Sport Club was formed in April. The club now has 15 members, and Parsons is hoping that total grows this school year. Members must be either current Southeast students or alumni.

"The more the merrier," he said. "We're a young organization, and hopefully we'll keep growing."

Parsons said the Southeast Bass Anglers will focus on having various competitions between club members, and the group would also like to eventually do various things to help out in the community.

The club had two tournaments earlier this summer at Lake Wappappello that served as qualifiers for the ESPN national event. Parsons finished first and Staley second to make the national field.

Greg Shaeffer was third in the local qualifying, with Matt Blackburn and former Southeast football player T.J. Milcic tying for fourth.

"I think this club was a great idea," said Milcic, the leading receiver for the Redhawks last year who continues to attend Southeast as he finishes up work toward a criminal justice degree. "I've always liked fishing. It's relaxing and a lot of fun to get in a boat and spend the day on the lake."

Parsons said he is looking forward to the national tournament and hopes to surprise people. He and Staley will compete against anglers from the likes of Alabama, Iowa, North Carolina State, Texas Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, South Carolina and Oregon, among other schools. Regionally, Southern Illinois in Carbondale has a bass club.

"There is a forum set up on the Internet and there is a lot of trash talking going on, but nobody is even mentioning Southeast because they don't know about us," Parsons said. "Not to brag, but I've been doing this for a long time, and I've fished in a lot of tournaments. I'm very excited."

Any Southeast students or alumni interested in joining the Southeast Bass Anglers should call Parsons at (573) 776-8642.