New fishing club gains popularity among students
By Peter Gagnon// Photography and Online Editor
High Point University now has a newly chartered fishing club. If you’re interested in getting out on the weekends, catching fish and hanging out with a great group of people, this could be the place to be. Daniel Hackney, Class of 2020 and President of the HPU Fishing club, began the framework for the club late freshman year. By the end of last semester, the club was up and running.
Hackney started fishing at a young age and instantly developed a great passion for the sport. It was his love for fisihing that inspired Hackney to bring his hobby to the students at HPU.
As a native North Carolinian, he spends most weekends out at his lake house bass fishing. The Campus Chronicle talked to Hackney about the inner workings of the club and how one can be apart of the newest organization on campus.
“Our home lake is Oak Hollow, which is right down the road from the university,” says Hackney. “Since the roster is set already nobody else can join until next year, but at the beginning of the year, we will be at the club fair.”
The club will also be competing in tournaments and will be going up against schools like N.C. State, who have a very competitive fishing team. Hackney says the club’s first tournament will be in October and the team is excited and motivated to get on the water and show off their angling skills.
The club has a few prerequisites. “They would have to know how to use a spinning reel or a baitcasting reel, be able to use artificial bait and be able to compete on the highest level of bass fishing,” says Hackney.
If you’re interested, contact their president at dhackney@highpoint.edu or the staff advisor for the group, Jacob Crawford. The fishing club can be a terrific way for students at HPU to get to know one another, have a great time out on the water and represent the university in a fun and competitive way.
Pictured to the right is HPU student Peter Gagnon practicing his fishing skills in his home state of New Jersey. Photo by Peter Gagnon