Meet the Bulldogs

Fresno State teammates Delgado, Moua share their thoughts on qualifying for the 2012 National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship

(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.)

Club Web site: www.Facebook.com/FresnoStateFishingClub

Q&A

CollegeFishing.com: How were you introduced to fishing?

Delgado: I grew up in a family who loved to fish. My father had the greatest impact on me, teaching me almost everything I know about fishing. I am extremely lucky to have such a great father who introduced me to the outdoors at such a young age. Some of my fondest memories growing up were being on the lake before the sun came up with a line in the water.

Moua: My parents were both into fishing so the exposure to the sport started for me at an early age. At the time, it was more catfish, striped bass and blue gills. It’s funny because at the time I was more familiar with Lake Havasu than anything else in California. As we grew older, my older brothers and I grew more attached to the sport and focused a lot more on bass fishing.

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

Delgado: I am most comfortable with finesse fishing techniques.

Moua: This is probably the hardest question of the bunch, but I would have to say the one that catches fish. I’m a pretty aggressive power fisherman but finesse fishing is not something that I shy away from. Versatility wins! Get me a jig and a drop-shot and I’m happy as well.

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?

Delgado: It was amazing. Kong and I were so lucky to win the FLW College Fishing Western Regional Championship and I feel like it is our duty to continue to represent our university (and also the Western Conference) to our full potential. The national championship has been dominated by East Coast teams so far and we’re hoping to change that this year. I plan on doing as much research about the lake as I can and trying to catch every fishing show that concentrates on Lake McMurray.

Moua: It feels good and I can’t wait! I’ve been on the national stage before and that experience is surely going to help out. Also, I’ve been growing a lot and I can’t wait to see how this will unfold. As for preparation, I’m going to do the same thing I did when we won regionals, put in a lot of hard work and do plenty of research. But most importantly, we need to get our time on the water.

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

Delgado: I have managed a pizza place for over 6 years now.

Moua: I spent an entire year trying to perfect my jig game. I recall not throwing anything else except jigs that whole year. I did everything from slow crawling to swimming to flipping and pitching. Eventually, I would move to tying and doing color tests. I still tie my own jigs nowadays and I take great pride in all of them. By doing this, I see the key things both on and off the water that make me the angler that I am.