Fishing club reeling in new members

Founded in 1974, the Nishna Valley Bass Masters is a fishing club with Viking Lake as home base. The club is growing as people are catching on to the fact that fishing is a sport.
“About 10 years ago, colleges began recognizing that fishing was a sport, not just an activity,” current NVBM president Andy Porter said. “Universities began offering scholarships and starting fishing teams, and the sport just took off.”
The NVBM currently has 22 active members and the club continues to grow.
“It was originally designed as a learning club,” member Roger Wistrom said. Wistrom joined the club in 1981 because he wanted to participate in something and “the golf course was getting too crowded.”
Rob Clausen, current tournament director, joined the club in 1996.
“I joined because my dad was in the club,” Clausen said. “There is a ton of camaraderie and fellowship. Good sportsmanship is a high priority and lack of sportsmanship is just not tolerated.”
The NVBM club has a reputation of being a family-friendly club. In fact, Clausen is a third-generation angler.
“Josh [my son] was raised in the club,” Porter said. “He has grown to be an active member, and the members were a big part of his wedding.”
The club does not restrict age or gender, but all anglers must fish from a boat with a live well for tournaments. The club is determined to keep the fish alive.
“It’s a great, family-friendly, multi-generational, outdoor activity,” Sheryl Porter said. “The club is not just about fishing. The men and women evolve into family.”
Andy Porter recalled the moment he knew he wanted to become a member.
“I had fished a few times before as a guest and was going to fish a tournament with my own boat. I drove around the block and had to go back for my thermos. By the time I came back out, all of my tackle and rods had been stolen from my boat.
I drove to the lake to tell them I wouldn’t be fishing, and before I had told the entire story, I had more fishing stuff than before. The guys just gathered stuff to help me out so I could fish. I fished with Ed Thomas that day, and I just knew these were the kind of men I wanted to be associated with.”
Porter went on to explain, “These guys will do anything for you to get you on the water fishing. Mostly so they can kick your butt in points,”
That good-natured competition echoed from other members.
“It’s just a good, natural sport,” Chris Bullington said. “In a club, you can learn more than you do individually; you learn faster. We share information after the tournaments.”
The non-profit organization is federated. This gives the members an option to fish with the professional anglers on a national level.
The club meets monthly at Viking Lake, and club tournaments are scheduled April through October with a banquet at the end of each year.
“My highlight year was this past year,” Clausen said. “I caught 85 pounds of bass.”
The NVBM club members have helped Boy Scout troops earn fishing badges, and have held benefit tournaments.
Members have joined the club for different reasons, and have varied reasons for begin active members. But all agree that the sport of fishing has them hooked.
For information check out the Nishna Valley Bass Masters facebook page.