Eastern has a new registered student organization that Grizzly Adams would love.

A group of students started the Fishing and Hunting club, signed up members and became a RSO all in one semester.

“We have a passion for wildlife and an appreciation for nature that is second-to-none,” said club vice president Trent Horn.

The club focuses around fishing and hunting, but it is easier to fish as a group than hunt. Members go to monthly meetings, fishing get-togethers, wild game cookouts and other outdoor activities, such as cleaning up trash around Lake Charleston.

Competing in tournaments

The Fishing and Hunting club also competes with other Illinois schools in fishing tournaments.

“As of right now, we have about seven members that are scheduled to fish in bass tournaments,” Horn said. “We are signed up for six tourneys and have the potential spot for more people but we are mainly trying to get the people who have been active with the group fishing time.”

Zach Huber, president of the Fishing and Hunting club, said fishing is a growing sport in colleges and high schools, and said the number of students who could participate will rapidly expand.

Huber said 192 high schools in Illinois added fishing teams this past year.

Eastern’s fishing team competes with colleges across the Midwest, but Horn and Huber said the location of the tournament and the parameters are factors into if they go.

The club will also fish in the Illinois State College Championship, which is only for Illinois teams.

“There are also ‘good-old-boy tournaments’ that can be fished, as well – these tournaments are more for fun and don’t consist of all college students. They are held on Thursday night on the Embarras River,” Huber said.

Horn added the Cumberland County Bassmasters welcomed the club to fish in their events this year.

Fishing in Charleston

Because the members do not know too many Charleston residents who have ponds, members have been casting fishing lines at Fox Ridge State Park and Lake Charleston.

The club is trying to open some local areas for fishing and help the community as a whole.

“We intend to do some community events,” Huber said. “We are also looking into redoing the Campus Pond – making it fishable – because it is in such bad shape and students should have access to it.”

Fishing is not the only focus of the group, as it is working to improve the outdoors in general.

“We are also working with other clubs to do some community service; the Lake Charleston Clean Up,” Huber said. “The clubs will unite on a weekend and spend the whole day picking up trash around the Lake Charleston Park.”

The Fishing and Hunting club plans to participate in the Cumberland County Bassmasters Kids’ Fishing Day.

James Roedl can be reached at 581-7942 or at jmroedl@eiu.edu.