Written and Media by Chris Brooks.
For this weeks article, I interviewed Greenville University Fisherman, Cordell Beckmann. Beckmann is a freshman agribusiness major from Breese, IL and is currently in his first season with the GU Bass Fishing team.
Q: When did you start fishing?
A: I first started fishing at the earliest age I can remember, which is around 4 or 5. But my parents tell me I would hold or drag around a pole when I was 2 and 3 acting like I was fishing.
Q: When and how did you begin to fish competitively?
A: Growing up, I had relatives that were into competitive fishing and very good at it. My dad caught interest in it and looked to get me started in high school. I started to prepare my eighth-grade year for the high school level tournaments, and I’ve never looked back since. I strive to grow each and every year until this very day.
Q: What made you come to Greenville University to fish in college?
A: I did not feel like giving up fishing competitively after a disappointing senior year, to say the least. Greenville University was a place close to home, something very important to me, and it gave me an opportunity to take my fishing career to the next level. It just seemed like a perfect fit for my lifestyle.
Q: As a college angler, what is your personal goal that you set to seek out and what is the next step towards achieving that goal?
A: I want to grow each and every year I fish competitively in college. I have set pretty high goals for myself for each and every year. As a Freshman, I want to qualify in both FLW and BASS National Championships. Also, I hope to help the team rank in the top 35 for SOY. I want to keep progressing on these goals and eventually make a run at one of the national championships, mainly BASS over FLW though. I want to move on to the next level afterward and hopefully fish Bass Opens or FLW Costa Series events to qualify myself into the professional level.
Q: Next week, you have two tournaments at Kentucky Lake. What tournament goals do you have and what do you think will be the winning weights for each tournament?
A: For the first tournament, I want to qualify myself for the National championship and hopefully make a top ten finish. I think 46-48 pounds will win this tournament. The second is all about SOY points, so I want to give my school the best opportunity to make up for lost points in recent tournaments and get us back in the top 50. Biggest bass for this tournament will be over nine pounds.
Q: Who are your biggest influences and why?
A: My parents are no doubt my biggest influencers in my life. I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing right now without their support, especially my dad. He has pushed me each and every day to follow my own path, and it has made a tremendous difference in my life. They let me make my own decisions and support each and every one of them I make.
Q: My final question is how do you want your season to go this year and what do you expect out of your team this year?
A: This first year for me has been a little rough fishing-wise, and I look to bounce back at these next few tournaments and give myself some critical momentum moving forward through the year. I expect us as a team to bounce back together and get us in a spot where we feel comfortable moving into the following season. We need to keep improving as a group, make the most out of the opportunities we have, and finish out the season strong.
Check out next week’s article where I will be recapping the first tournament of the week from the FLW College Open on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Ky. The Weigh-ins for both days will be on FLW’s website.
