The Anglers Club at Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) has represented the college well through success in competition, success that is now even more clearly attributed to H-SC since the boat has been customized to convey Tiger pride, a recent press release cited.

As one of more than 60 clubs and organizations at Hampden-Sydney College, the Anglers Club’s primary focus is competitive bass fishing, college officials stated in the release. They continued by noting that once very active, the club eventually withdrew from the competitive circuit for five years; in its second year reactivated, however, the  club is gaining momentum on campus and in competition.

And this year, the release highlighted, the anglers will pull up to competitions in style, sporting Hampden-Sydney logos wrapped on their boat.

H-SC junior Cullen Lamm-Hoover, current president and one of the leading members to reactivate the club, took initiative and approached the Hampden-Sydney Office of Student Affairs about customizing the boat in garnet and grey, the school’s colors, officials said. Associate Dean of Students Richard Pantele immediately agreed to help.

“This boat-wrap project serves as a great advertising tool for the club and for the college whenever the group travels to regional bodies of waters to fish on a more casual basis or participate in tournaments,” Pantele said in the release.

The release noted that it was the collegiate tournament circuit that inspired Cullen to decorate his boat for the Tigers.

“I noticed most of the competitive schools had branded boats, and since we had been placing well, I wanted to show off Hampden-Sydney,” Cullen said in the release.

The college team has indeed done well re-entering the competitive circuit, officials stated in the release. In its first tournament, Hampden-Sydney placed 30th out of 218 teams, and in its first season back qualified for the BASS Bassmaster College Series National Championship in Oklahoma.

The release emphasized that competitive bass fishing is much different than leisurely hobby fishing.

“There are more factors that go into fishing than people realize, from baiting techniques to the temperature of the water,” Cullen said in the release.

In competitions, each team’s catch is presented alive — conservation is important to anglers — and evaluated, officials said. Weight, species type and quantity of the fish all are considered in assessing team scores.

The release cited that since competition entries are limited to two people per boat, the Anglers Club also hosts a few group events to bring together all 20 of its members.

“The Anglers Club provides many of our students with opportunities to share their talents, to build friendships and character and to build camaraderie through experiences with the outdoors,” Pantele said in the release.

Officials concluded the release by highlighting that now, whether fishing competitively or recreationally, Anglers Club members will show off their Tiger pride in their newly branded fishing boat.