CSU-Pueblo Bass Fishing Club helps local teen qualify for Junior World Fishing Championship

PUEBLO – Thanks to encouragement and mentoring from Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Bass Club Team President Tyler Hassler, local teen angler Dillon Robertshaw won the Bass Federation's Youth Bass Fishing State Championship last weekend at Lake Pueblo Reservoir. Robertshaw and Hassler will travel in August to South Carolina to compete in the Junior World Championships.

Robertshaw has been participating in the Multi-Sport Camp at CSU-Pueblo this week as his father, Scott Robertshaw, is co-director of the multi-week camps. 

“I’m so proud of Dillon's hard work and dedication, and thankful for the mentorship from the Southern Colorado Junior Bass Club (SOCOJBC, https://www.facebook.com/SOCOJBC/) and Tyler Hassler from CSU-Pueblo's Bass Fishing Team,” said Scott Robertshaw, who added that the CSU-Pueblo Bass Team has been a huge supporter/coaching/boat drivers for the Southern Colorado Bass Fishing Club. For this tournament, Hassler personally volunteered three days on the water coaching the kids on his own dime and time.  

Robertshaw said bass fishing is one of fastest growing high school and college sports in the nation. The CSU-Pueblo Bass Team was founded in August 2015 by Tyler Hassler, with support from Club Sports Program Coordinator Bill Moorman. Since then, the team has fished six college bass fishing tournaments with both the Bassmaster and FLW (Fishing League Worldwide) organizations. Each tournament resulted in better placement as the season(s) progressed and included a 16th place finish out of 130 teams at Lake Sam Rayburn in early February, just 13 ounces short of making it to the FLW College National Championship.

Members of the Pack Bass Team (Hassler, Austin Miles and Keane Velez) have volunteered as boaters for the spring and fall high school tournaments hosted by Pueblo West High School's Cyclone Anglers and volunteered as weigh masters and coaches for two tournaments per years with the SOCOJBC, which aims to support and grow the sport of bass-fishing, through education, camaraderie, conservation, competition, and fun among youth anglers, ages 5-18.

Hassler serves as assistant youth director with the SOCOJBC and has been volunteering and assisting with tournaments/events for the last four years since he became too old to compete in the club. He has given multiple instructional seminars on different bass fishing techniques and the biology of different species of bass in order to help educate the young anglers on "making their own luck" to catch fish.

"Sam Heckman (original youth director and founder of SOCOJBC) has been an amazing mentor for me in not only fishing and hunting, but in many aspects of my personal life as well. I would not be the sportsman, or man, I am today without all of his teachings,” Hassler said. “He has been a great role model for not only myself, but for every kid that has participated in the Southern Colorado Junior Bass Club, and for that, I have to express a great amount of gratitude."

In last weekend’s tournament, Dillon used Texas-rigged weightless senkos around bushes and brush piles in the backs of coves and caught the largest bass of the tournament, a 2.74 lb. largemouth bass along with two 16-inch smallmouth bass in his bag to secure the win.

“I gave advice on what to throw and where to cast, but Dillon had to convince the fish to bite on his own; and that is exactly what he did. Seeing the huge smile on his face when he was announced the Colorado TBF State Champion made those 8 HOT, LONG hours in the sun on the water so worth it,” Hassler said. “I think Dillon realized he is a much better bass fisherman than he had ever thought before, and I can see him becoming a force to be reckoned with in the future.”

 Colorado State University - Pueblo is committed to excellence, setting the standard for regional comprehensive universities in teaching, research, and service by providing leadership and access for its region, while maintaining its commitment to diversity.

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