Campus News - Sports

Twin brothers lead UW fishing team to top five national ranking.

Derek '08 and Drew x'09 Frederixon have been fishing together for a long time. "We've been tournament fishing since we were sixteen," says Derek, "and fishing together since probably, well, forever."

Taught the sport by their father at a young age, the siblings spent the majority of their summers growing up fishing near their hometown of Holmen, Wisconsin. Now they lead the UW-Madison fishing team. A registered student organization founded in 1996, the team has grown in size and popularity in the last twelve years, and currently includes twenty-five active members.

Team members compete locally and nationally in tournaments held across the Midwest and southern United States to earn points toward national rankings, which begin in September of each year and factor in both tournament placement and participation.

While specific rules vary from tournament to tournament, generally winners are determined by the accumulated weight of each team's catch at weigh-in. An eligible catch for a tournament weigh-in can be limited to a certain number, length, and type of bass, and teams may be penalized or disqualified for presenting dead, mangled, or otherwise altered fish. The UW team was ranked fifth in the nation as of press time.

But the fishing team is about more than competition, as the growing roster of UW piscators attests. "Six or seven of our guys are pretty accomplished tournament anglers who've been tournament fishing for a long time," says Drew. "Many, though, are good fishermen who mainly do it for recreation and are just looking to learn some new things."

"Yeah, anybody who wants to join can join," adds Derek. "We're not going to turn anybody away." If the team has more interested members than available entries for a tournament, a point system based on activity level within the team is used to determine which members get to go.

In addition to rankings, prize money is also at stake. In September 2007, Derek and Drew placed fourth at the U.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship in Lewisville, Texas, earning the team a boost in the national rankings and $3,000 - valuable funding help for a program that, aside from small university travel grants, is responsible for raising its own funds. As a nonvarsity sport, logistical items such as travel arrangements, scouting reports, practice facilities - and the means to stay afloat on those facilities - are the responsibilities of team members.

"Obviously, we'd like to go to every tournament if we could," says Drew, "but when you're paying $1,000 for gas money and a hotel, it's tough. Pulling a boat down south costs money." Sponsors, merchandise sales, and raffles keep members casting as well, and every summer, the team runs Madison's Badger Bass Open, a public fishing tournament that helps generate money for the group.

In addition to time spent on the road at tournaments, fundraising is a big commitment, and the Frederixon brothers sometimes find
themselves putting in as much time with the team as they do with their classes. As president, Drew is responsible for coordinating travel arrangements, scouting potential competitions, and organizing team events. Derek serves as sponsorship coordinator, but has no problem crediting his brother with doing a sizable portion of the work. "I help out if he needs [it]," Derek says, "but [Drew] definitely does a lot of the work."

The season resumed for Derek, Drew, and the rest of the team in February, and the Badger anglers made a strong third place finish in the Big Ten Tournament in April, weighing in eight fish for a total of fourteen pounds. Currently seniors majoring in mechanical engineering, Derek and Drew plan to stay active in the competitive fishing world post-graduation and hope to open their own boat company together.

Both note that the sport's best attribute lies in its ability to be recreational or competitive, but always challenging. "Every day on the water, you learn something new," Drew says, "otherwise, you're doing something wrong."

By Ben Wischnewski '05

Five things you should know about UW rower Katy Haver x'10

• Rowing runs in her blood. Haver's father founded the rowing club in her hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; her mother is the past president of Rowing Saskatchewan; and her brother is on Canada's national team. "I have a sister who doesn't row," Haver says, "but she knows how - so we've had days where we've all gotten in a boat together."
• After taking a year off between high school and college, Haver began visiting schools and instantly knew the UW was the place for her. "I came for a visit and it just clicked right away," she says.
• Initially a swimmer, Haver was introduced to rowing during a summer program. Now she teaches people "rom thirteen to forty-five years old" in the same program.
• Even with its twice-a-day training schedule, Haver says the team always looks forward to starting the racing season in the fall.
• After training indoors all winter, Haver is eager to get back in the water - a place where she can relax. "It's something that, once you experience it, you will understand," she says. "It's a oneness with everyone in the boat and with the water.