(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: Senior
Major: Criminal Justice
Hometown: Taylorville, Ill.
Other interests: Hunting, shooting, being in the outdoors and spending time with family and friends.
Class: Senior
Major: Marketing
Hometown: Springfield, Ill.
Other interests: Bow shooting.
Q&A
CollegeFishing.com: How were you introduced to fishing?
Skinner: I was introduced to fishing at a very young age by my grandfather.
LeMasters: My father introduced me to fishing as soon as I could hold a rod in my hand. Ever since then I have been hooked on it.
CollegeFishing.com: What style/method of fishing are you most comfortable with?
Skinner: I feel confident in fishing in any situation, using any style or method. I believe my strength is power fishing and throwing crankbaits. I can effectively crank and catch fish deep or shallow.
LeMasters: Power fishing; and the exact opposite technique – throwing a shaky head.
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?
Skinner: Qualifying for the 2012 FLW College Fishing National Championship was an amazing feeling. Brad and I have had a rough time getting here. We missed the cut at the Ozarks by 3 ounces, just barely missed out again on Kentucky and then totaled a vehicle five miles from reaching our hotel in Detroit, Mich. Our run has consisted of successes as well as many failures. Getting to the National Championship takes a lot of money, effort, and time away from home. Making it to the National Championship was a huge relief and a feeling I’ll never forget.
LeMasters: The feeling was unbelievable. This was our first year fishing FLW College Fishing and to do it the first year is awesome. We have been preparing for the event all winter long with map studies, Google Earth and reading anything we can find on the internet.
CollegeFishing.com: Tell us something interesting about yourself that most people wouldn’t know.
Skinner: I often have trouble determining the color of the baits I am throwing as I am color blind. As a result, I have my tackle bags set up so that everything is color coded. My soft plastics are organized from lightest color to darkest in the bag. This helps me find what I need more easily in case the labels on the packages fall off or the printing gets rubbed off.
LeMasters: I played football and baseball in high school. I was a pitcher and first baseman in baseball and a right guard in football.