Sam Thiel/Winonan

For most people, fishing is seen as a recreational activity where they can have fun, relax on the water and make some memories.

But in the case of some Winona State University students, fishing is much, much more.

Cade Laufenberg, Wyatt Stout and Tyler Mohr are just a few of the Warriors representing Winona State out on the lakes, who achieved the No. 1 ranking in the nation over the summer.

“It was incredible,” Mohr said about the number one ranking. “We have a great group of talents and we’ve worked really hard in the past 2-3 months. To see this confirms what we already knew. A university like us can compete with the big-name schools and to be recognized on the national level is amazing.”

The Winona State Fishing Club achieved the No. 1 ranking by accumulating points over a two-year period. They sit at 733.270 points followed by West Virginia University with 711.619.

The club has been around for six years after Laufenberg kickstarted the team.

Mohr, who is currently a junior, said one of the biggest reasons he chose Winona State was because of the club.

“It was one of the biggest draws for me,” Mohr said. “I got in touch with Cade and I was put on a list of elite fishers in high school. As soon as I came down here, I knew this is where I wanted to be.”

The club competes in about 4-to-5 tournaments every year in states such as Illinois, Kentucky, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Arkansas.

The team’s prevalence has earned them sponsorships and media coverage as a result. Among the sponsors include Dobyns Rods, Ranger Boats, Fishidy and Lethal Weapon Jigs.

“We don’t always get funding from the school but we’ve been able to get products from some big name sponsors,” Mohr said. “The media coverage has taken off and we’re looking to expand and grow our number of sponsors.”

The club fishes for bass only and compete on the BASS and FLW college circuits.

“We’re a super young program and we had a lot of young talent my freshman year,” Mohr said. “We’re looking for young talent as well as maintaining what talent we already have. I just want to give a huge shout out to all the people on the team who have made it all possible.”

“We focus on how hard we work in order to get recognition and we have had more national T.V. air time than anybody and have brought a lot of national trophies,” Mohr added. “We’re happy to be here and will try to continue our success.”