Alec Brassington and Christopher Wong of Sacramento State will thow topwaters and lipeless crankbaits today. Photo by David A. Brown. Anglers: Alec Brassington, Christopher Wong.

January 28, 2010 • Patrick Baker • Abu Garcia College Fishing

(Editor’s note: Leading up to the inaugural National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship, which will be held at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., April 10-12, CollegeFishing.com will post semiweekly feature stories highlighting the 25 teams that qualified. At stake in the tournament is a prize package of $100,000 and a chance to compete in the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup.)

Name: Alec Brassington (pictured at left)

Class: junior

Major: Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration (Therapeutic Recreation)

Hometown: Roseville, Calif.

Other interests: fishing for saltwater species and fly-fishing, hunting, backpacking/camping

Name: Christopher Wong (pictured at right)

Class: senior

Major: Business with a concentration in General Management

Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.

Other interests: striper fishing, hunting, movies, camping, traveling and going out to eat

University Web site: www.csus.edu/

Q&A

CollegeFishing.com: How were you introduced to fishing?

Brassington: I have been fishing since I was able to hold a rod. It all started with a worm and bobber in bluegill ponds and fishing the Sacramento River with my grandpa, then it grew to fly-fishing lakes and streams. I started bass fishing around nine years ago and have been consumed by the sport ever since. I have only fished competitively for the past two years.

Wong: My dad first introduced me to fishing when I was very young, and I never gave it up since.

CollegeFishing.com: What style/method of fishing are you most comfortable with?

Brassington: As far as bass fishing goes, I’m most comfortable with finesse-fishing and jigs.

Wong: I feel comfortable fishing any technique if I have to, but I love to power-fish: topwater, cranking, ripping, swimbaiting and punching.

CollegeFishing.com: What did it feel like to qualify for the inaugural National Championship? How do you plan to prepare for the big event?

Brassington: It was a pretty incredible feeling qualifying for nationals, especially since we barely squeaked our way into the Delta qualifying event, which led us to the Western Regional event, where we had some issues but focused and had a great finish. Chris and I plan to prefish for the championship at least once just to get a look at the water. I’m excited and can’t wait until April.

Wong: I couldn’t believe it, myself; it was a dream come true. My partner and I plan on making the trek to Tennessee before the tournament to do a little prefishing along with a little research into how the Tennessee River fishes.

CollegeFishing.com: Tell us something interesting about yourself that most people wouldn’t know.

Brassington: My favorite kind of food is sushi.

Wong: I enjoy spreading my interest in fishing to others, especially if they’re first-timers.