(Editor’s note: Leading up to the 2012 National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship – slated for April 13-15 on Lake Murray in Columbia, S.C. – CollegeFishing.com will publish weekly, in-depth features stories of each of the 25 national championship team qualifiers. At stake in the tournament is a first-place prize package worth $100,000 as well as a chance for the winning team to compete in the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup.)
Class: Junior
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Waupaca, Wisc.
Other interests: I’m an avid baseball fan, and being from Wisconsin I love my Brewers. I enjoy spending time with my friends talking about fishing over a few refreshments.
Class: Junior
Major: Fisheries
Hometown: Waupaca, Wisc.
Other interests: I am a diehard turkey and deer hunter.
Club Web site: www4.uwsp.edu/stuorg/bigdawgfishing
Q&A
CollegeFishing.com: How were you introduced to fishing?
Johnson: I was introduced to the idea of fishing from my grandfather. I used to spend my Sunday mornings after church going through his tackle box. However, by the time I was old enough to fish, he was on dialysis, which made it impossible to fish for any extended amount of time. My parents didn’t fish, but my dad introduced me to several “river rats” who took me under their wing and taught me everything about fishing, from running a set line to catching bass on scum frogs. The rest is history and I owe everyone who has helped me to get to this point everything.
Derks: I was introduced to fishing through my dad and brothers. However I was introduced to the sport of bass fishing by my tournament partner Ted.
CollegeFishing.com: What style/method of fishing are you most comfortable with?
Johnson: I’m a weed fisherman. I’m most comfortable with fishing anything green and lush. In Wisconsin, almost every lake has vegetation in it, from slop to weedlines that can extend down to 20-plus feet. From this style of fishing I have been able to adapt to flipping as well as offshore fishing.
Derks: I enjoy flipping either weedlines or cover on the bank.
CollegeFishing.com: What did it feel like to qualify for the 2011 FLW College Fishing National Championship? How do you plan to prepare for the big event?
Johnson: To qualify for the championship was a dream come true. I’ve watched FLW College fishing for several years, anticipating that I might be there someday. Even at the pre-tournament meeting for the Central Regional Championship, they showed the highlights from last year’s championship and I still couldn’t imagine being there. To be at the National Championship means you’re one of the top-25 college teams in the nation, which puts you amongst some very stiff competition. It truly is a dream come true.
Derks: To tell you the truth, the best way to describe the feeling was that I felt like a pro for a few days during the regional event. After leading the regional after day one I was living a dream. And to qualify for the championship just magnified that feeling. To prepare, my tournament partner Ted and I have ordered topo maps as well as viewed satellite maps of Lake Murray. We also plan on making a trip during our spring break to get a good look at the lake and spend some time finding a few possible areas in which to best spend our pre-fishing time.
CollegeFishing.com: Tell us something interesting about yourself that most people wouldn’t know.
Johnson: Most people don’t know that I was a state solo and ensemble performer in high school. The time I didn’t spend on the water, I was in the choir room.
Derks: Along with hunting and fishing, I love to play soccer.