By Aaliyah Dixon, Contributing Writer
On Saturday, Nov. 12, the first ever Kayaking & Fishing tournament was held by Lake Jovita. The event was hosted by the Sporting Clays team in awareness to help them raise money for their team. Event attendees showed their support, got to enjoy delicious food, and got to go kayaking and fishing.
Kayak and fishing tournaments are extremely popular and successful worldwide. People have the option to go into the waters and attempt to catch fish or look at the beauty of the lake. So, it was no surprise Saint Leo University wanted to try something new and refreshing.
Debbie and David Standridge, parents of Isaac Standridge, a senior majoring in communications, found attending the event quite easy as they only had one reason in mind.
“To support the Sporting Clays team and our son,” Debbie Standridge stated as her husband agreed with her, knowing how hard their son and the team worked to get where they are.
Isaac Standridge and Daniel Konesky, a senior majoring in criminal justice, planned the event with some experience in both fishing and kayaking.
“This is our first time hosting an event like this before,” Standridge said. “Individually, we’ve done kayaking and fishing before. So, that’s where we got the idea.”
Paul Arlinghaus, a big supporter of the team, discussed some tips on how people can get over their fear of the water and getting out of their comfort zone
“Start by fishing off the pier…gradually get into it,” Arlinghaus said. “Little by little, maybe you’ll get used to it.”
Arlinghaus, being experienced with fishing, goes on to give some extra advice for beginners in fishing. Research is one of the things he highlights as he gives his advice.
“YouTube is a good resource to learn. Know where you’re fishing. Are you fishing in a freshwater lake or on the beach?” Arlinghaus said. “What are the kind of fish that are out there? And research what kind of bait they like. Also, fish usually like to eat at sunrise and sunset. So, those are good times to fish as well.”
Standridge and Konesky both want to host more events like these in the future, hoping the Kayaking & Fishing Tournament could be a reoccurring event for the Sporting Clays team.
“Yes. We plan on doing this every year,” Standridge said and wants to be able to support his team with any event possible.
Standridge and Konesky both wanted to support their Sporting Clays team and gave this as the purpose of Saturday’s Kayaking & Fishing Tournament event.
“It was to support the team and give us money to go to our tournament,” Standridge explained, not wanting to leave anyone behind or have them feel unable to go. “That way we can afford to send everybody.”
With events like these planned to come back in the future, students can get the chance to step out of their comfort zone and do things they have never done before. Life requires some risks, so why not try something new? Who knows? You might feel like a fish in the sea with many opportunities to explore.
