Image for Meet the Owls
Sporting his ceremonial mullet wig, Thomas Frink displays one of the two fish that he and Kennesaw State teammate Justin Marlow caught. Photo by David A. Brown. Anglers: Tom Frink, Jake Akin, Justin Marlow.
February 29, 2012 • Gary Mortenson • Archives

(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.)

Name: Justin Marlow (pictured on left)

Class: Junior

Major: Business Management

Hometown: Kennesaw, Ga.

Other interests: Hunting, basketball and softball.

Name: Tom Frink (pictured on right)

Class: Junior

Major: Nursing

Hometown: Simi Valley, Calif.

Other interests: Shooting and mountain biking.

Q&A

CollegeFishing.com: How were you introduced to fishing?

Marlow: I was introduced to fishing by my two cousins Tony and Josh, Uncle Billy, Hue and Ronald. We would go fish pounds and creeks in East Tennessee.

Frink: My dad took me fishing around the third grade in southern California and from then on I was riding my bike to the duck pond every day after school to fish.

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

Marlow: Finesse fishing. It’s not my favorite technique, but with the lakes around where I live I have to do it a lot.

Frink: The first type of fishing I learned in Southern California was sight-fishing so I have always loved that. Next would be throwing a crankbait deep or shallow. I am also comfortable with a spinning rod in my hand whether it’s a drop-shot or 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?

Marlow: It is a great accomplishment to be able to represent my school on such a big platform. With this being the biggest event I have ever fished, I plan on studying the lake inside and out and trying to spend as much time as possible on the water.

Frink: It was awesome to know that I had qualified again because making it all the way to the national championship was my goal when the season started. With how busy I am at school I do not get a chance to fish many tournaments so it was great to qualify.

I plan to prepare by going and looking at the lake for a day or two. I probably won’t even make a cast.

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

Marlow: When the weather is nice and I’m not on the water, I enjoy riding my Harley around the mountains of north Georgia.

Frink: I don’t think there are too many secrets about me.