By Ally Tobler

Emma Mullineaux, president of University of Maryland’s Fishing Club, was six years old when she went fishing with her father for the first time.

Even in the middle of winter, club secretary and junior civil engineering major James Freeland said members still meet at Lake Artemesia each Tuesday to try their luck.

“It’s too cold to catch anything right now,” Freeland said.

Junior fire protection engineering major Gus Cralle started the club this past fall, and wants to compete in Fishing League Worldwide (FLW)’s northern league collegiate competition this spring. For the time being,  however, the club does not have enough fishing boats for their 12 active members to compete all at once.

According to Freeland, the university’s Student Government Association (SGA) allotted the group $15,000 for boats and any other necessary materials.

“We only have two boats, and typically you fit two people per boat,” said Mullineaux, a junior agronomy major. “It’s a lot of hoop-jumping for the first year.”

To raise money for more boats, the club is planning fundraisers including a clothing sale and a “Rod Raffle,” in which a fishing rod made by a club member will be auctioned off.

Freeland outlined what’s ahead for the Fishing Club meetings, which meets the first Thursday of every month.

“It’s not very active yet, so most of [the meetings] are business,” he said. “We plan on having some guest speakers for tips and suggestions on how to go about doing the tournaments and practicing.”

The Fishing Club plans to participate in a fishing tournament at Smallwood State Park on March 31.