Meet the Wildcats

Chico State teammates White, Vogt share their thoughts on qualifying for the 2012 National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship

The Chico State team of Thomas White (left) Frank Vogt grabbed the overall lead during the first day of FLW College Fishing Western Regional competition on Saguaro Lake. Photo by Gary Mortenson. Anglers: Tom White, Frank Vogt.

March 21, 2012 • Gary Mortenson • Abu Garcia College Fishing

(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.)

Name: Tom White (pictured on left)

Class: Alumni

Major: Sociology

Hometown: Fountain Valley, Calif.

Other interests: Hanging out with friends and being a saltwater deep-sea fishing captain out of Newport Beach, Calif.

Name: Frank Vogt (pictured on right)

Class: Senior

Major: Construction Management

Hometown: Gilroy, Calif.

Other interests: When I’m not fishing, I’m hunting – duck hunting, mostly. I love outdoor sports including riding dirt bikes, quads or pretty much anything with a motor. Wakeboarding, snowboarding and hiking are also all hobbies of mine.

Club Web site: Facebook, Chico state bass fishing

Q&A

CollegeFishing.com: How were you introduced to fishing?

White: My dad first introduced me to fishing. We had a Champion fish hunter that we would take to local lakes and also out onto the ocean.

Vogt: Since I was young, I spent countless hours fishing the pond on my family’s ranch where I grew up. I’ve been hooked ever since.

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

White: My two favorite baits to throw are jigs and jerkbaits. I love the jig because of its versatility – you can use it either as a search bait or slow it down and use it as a finesse bait. The same thing goes for jerkbaits.

Vogt: Finesse fishing. I’m comfortable with anything from a drop-shot to a jig, depending on the lake. When the topwater bite is good, I love throwing a Zara spook in the morning 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?

White: It felt great. It felt better than the first time because I never knew how big the FLW College Fishing National Championship was made out to be. So getting back to the big stage is the only thing I could think about during the Western Regionals. To prepare for the big event, Frank and I will fly out ahead of time to get some practice in.

Vogt: The feeling was incredible! It was tough tournament in Arizona and after day 2 and 3, I wasn’t sure if we were going to make the cut. But we pulled off a fourth-place finish and earned a ticket to nationals!

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

White: I once fed a 16-foot great white shark. After catching my very first tuna, I was forced to eat its heart. And finally, I am a huge mixed martial arts fan.

Vogt: I am a citizen of Switzerland.