Sophomore Bracken Castle has always loved fishing and has helped start a bass fishing team at Centre College.
Bracken Castle has been fishing his “whole life” and was on the high school fishing teams at Knox Central and Whitley County for two years each before coming to Centre College.
At 18, he was a fishing guide — one of the youngest in Kentucky and Tennessee. He participated in fishing leagues in Knox County and Harlan County. He was a two-time qualifier for the state high school fishing championship and won several major tournaments.
Castle also played football and when it came time to pick a college some schools told him he could be on both the football and fishing teams. He also wanted a “good education” so he came to Centre College knowing there was not a fishing team. However, there is a fishing team now because Castle helped organize and start one.
“In all honesty, there are a lot of people on campus who like to fish. We had 47 sign up for our club team,” he said. “In the club section, we have quite a few females. We are open to anybody. Most of those who have signed up have a working knowledge of fishing but we all can get better. I am a firm believer that you can learn something from everybody you talk to.
“We also try to do community outreach events. We had a fall fishing derby and gave away 88 free rods and plan to do that again in April.”
On the tournament side, it’s just Castle and a partner — he picks his partner based on class schedules and other factors — because he’s the only one with a boat available to use in competitions.
“We are looking for more people with boats and if we can get more boats we can send more people to competitions,” he said. “But fishing is the only sport that a small college such as Centre can compete against Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky and others.
“We are a first-year program but when more people start hearing about us we hope to grow. I have been in contact with a few high schoolers that we have a bass fishing team now and that might attract some of them to come here.”
Castle is part of a four-part bass fishing lecture series at Centre. His topic on March 4 will be on fishing technology and how to “optimize the use of LiveScope to optimize your fishing experience.” LiveScope is a forward facing live sonar that improves accuracy and fishing success.
“You can see the bait falling and fish swimming. LiveScope has taken bass fishing by storm,” he said. “A lot of people do not know how to set it up but the technology can open a whole new way for catching fish. Eight years ago before it came out every bass fisherman was against the bank casting and a select few knew how to use the middle of the lake. This opens the door to a side of fishing a lot of folks have not seen.”
While LiveScope enables you to see the fish, Castle notes you “still have to make them bite” to be successful.
“Also no two days are alike. Usually older generation fishermen think this new technology is awful and should be banned. The younger generation thinks it is as much technique as learning to throw a jig,” he said. “My feeling is that if technology is here to stay, you might as well embrace it and learn everything we can.”
Castle has spent a lot of time practicing with LiveScope so he can win tournaments.
“I am not going to beat 50- or 60-year-olds doing what they have done for 25 years,” Castle said. “What can I do differently so I can win tournaments? I knew I had to learn how to use LiveScope and spent a lot of time figuring it out. Now that’s what I am the best at when I am fishing.”
The 6-2, 296-pound offensive lineman says the fishing team does not present any major conflicts with football.
“We can pick and choose which tournaments we participate in. Fishing is mainly in the spring and winter, football is in the fall,” he said. “I love doing both and fortunately I am able to do it and that just makes my experience here at Centre even better.”
