Meet the Hoosiers

Indiana University headed to inaugural CF National Championship

(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.)

Club Web site: iufishing.com

Q&A

CollegeFishing.com: How were you introduced to fishing?

Schultz: I grew up fishing with both my mom and dad. My dad and his family have always been very active in the sport of bass fishing. My dad has been the most influential person in my fishing career. I learned mostly by watching him find and catch fish. Today, the tides are beginning to turn and I have taught dad a few tricks of my own.

Vaal: I was introduced to fishing at a very young age. My dad always used to take me bluegill fishing when I was still in my diapers. When I finally became old enough, he began taking me out on the Ranger with him fishing for bass. At the age of 11 I fished in my first bass fishing tournament. I remember it pretty well because the whole boat was frosted over and it was snowing; unfortunately I caught the only keeper we had that day. Ever since then my dad and I have been fishing about 20 to 30 team bass tournaments every year.

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

Schultz: We all know that versatility is important when traveling around the nation chasing little green fish but it is important to have a technique that you feel most comfortable with. For me that is flipping. Docks, grass, rocks, wood, boats, cars, roads – you name it and you can flip it. Like most techniques the key to flipping is presentation. The location of your bait can be the difference of one inch but that can be the difference of catching a fish or not. Many fishermen take for granted how their lure enters the water. In most flipping circumstances I try and present my lure with zero splash or sound. A stealth presentation allows me to sneak up on the fish and get a reaction strike. Multiple flips to the same target can also trigger fish that are not eating. You might just make her angry enough to attack your bait. The majority of the time I’m flipping a Secret Lures MVP Flipping Jig, 3/8 ounce, Okeechobee Craw with a Paca Chuck Sr. trailer. Dustin and I both agree that if it is a shallow bite at Ft. Loudoun, “watch out son because it is on!”

Vaal: I am most comfortable flipping a jig in shallow water. If that bite is on these other teams better watch out. By shallow I mean anything from 0 to 6 feet of water. Recently I have begun fishing much deeper and I am having great success with it. My primary weapons for deep water are deep-diving crankbaits, Texas-rigged tubes and jigs. In this tournament I am hoping to find some shallow and deep fish. I would love to have a shallow bite going, and be able to hit a few deep spots if those fish run low.

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

Schultz: Winning the Central Regional Championship was a dream come true. This tournament was very special to me on so many different levels. First was because I reinstated the club my freshmen year and to see the club grow to 40 members, have two teams in the regional, and personally win was a dream that I worked my butt off to accomplish. The club deserved this win.

Second was for my family. My dad taught me that fishing was not just a hobby it was a piece of my life. Our history of fishing on Kentucky Lake runs all the way back to my Great Grandpa Schultz. Our family has been visiting Kentucky Lake ever since I can remember. It made for an emotional victory for my grandparents as they both cried when watching Eastern Kentucky pull out only one fish at the final weigh-in. This was a special moment for my mom as well. She (Jenifer Schultz) holds the Indiana state record largemouth bass – 14 pounds, 12 ounces. The excitement for fishing pumps through the veins of almost all my family members and our passion for fishing continues to spread to those around us.

Third was for myself. This win really brings a lot of things into perspective. My whole life has revolved around sports, especially fishing. The sport of fishing is far from a confidence boosting sport, but with this win I think it just gave me the confidence I need to continue my pursuit as a tournament angler. My theme for the tournament was “You Gotta Believe.” I listened to this song every night before I went to bed so that my mind would be in the right place when I woke up the next morning. For me, this tournament was not about the money or the boat; it was about the respect gained from winning a Regional Championship. I wanted to prove to everyone that we could win and all this hard work wasn’t for nothing. The respect that you get from the other competitors means more that any check. Not only did we gain respect from others but I developed a newfound respect for my fellow competitors. Most fishermen are very down to earth people who are always willing to lend a hand.

In preparation for the tournament and any tournament I always start with the Internet. In the past there have been FLW tournaments on Ft. Loudoun so this makes for good information when searching for the types of weight that we should be looking for this time of year. Next I go to the maps. I search for multiple maps that will give detailed information of the contours of the lake. Then I will make a ton of phone calls. The questions that you ask are very important. I don’t ask questions like, “What did you catch them on?” I’m looking for locations not specific baits. You can eliminate a lot of water by asking location questions. We will be heading down to Ft. Loudoun for some on-the-water experience during our spring break. These bass are going to be moving a lot in the next month and once we get there in April the bass should be spawning or postspawn. The spawn can be tricky because sometimes the fish stop eating and they can be tough to catch on their beds. Other times it can be a whackfest and everyone is going to come in with limits. It will be interesting to see what stage the fish will be in the second week of April.

Vaal: Winning the Regional Championship was probably the biggest tournament win of my life so far. I have gained so much recognition around southern Indiana; it’s nice when the people around you are extremely proud of the big win. I fish open tournaments and team tournaments and now everyone knows who I am. After winning that tournament then proceeding to win the Minnow bucket (Indiana vs. Purdue) my season came to an abrupt end and has left me hungry. I can’t even tell you how bad I’ve wanted to be out on the water throughout this whole winter.

To prepare for this tournament I will be spending my whole spring break fishing on Fort Loudoun. Then I am pretty sure that my partner and I will take a trip down there prior to the week of off limits. This is the first CF National Championship and I want to make sure that we have every advantage that we can possibly have. I am an extremely competitive person and am willing to do anything it takes to bring this win back home to Indiana.

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

Schultz: Well most of the time telling people that I am an avid fisherman that won a $50,000 tournament is something that they don’t know but you know that already. Secondly, is that my mom holds the Indiana state record for largemouth bass but I already mentioned that earlier. What people might not know is that I am a technology geek. I believe that technology plays a big part in the fishing industry. The online networking community is the future of our sport. We no longer communicate through snail mail (envelopes and mailboxes). It’s all about instant gratification. We want updated information every second of every day and fishing companies need to start providing that need. Some companies are early adopters of this new phase but there are many companies that are far behind. Facebook and Twitter are two great ways to reach the people that use your product. These sites create a positive connection between you and the users. We will be seeing more companies adopt this process of communication in the future.

Vaal: Something pretty interesting about me is that I really don’t get embarrassed. I could probably trip on the way up to the stage and still not get too bothered by it.