As the spring continues and the summer approaches, Pitt should consider reeling in an excellent opportunity for students — a club fishing team. 

Competitive fishing at the university level is growing across the country, with around 250 teams from California to New York. Locally, Slippery Rock, Penn State, West Virginia, La Roche and Carnegie Mellon University have teams, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. 

College level fishing now exists only at the club level, which means NCAA regulations do not apply, and participants can earn cash prizes. The Trib notes that, this year alone, the circuit will award more than $500,000 in cash and prizes. 

Besides the possible monetary gain students can achieve through club fishing, the sport would also provide Pitt with an opportunity for a non-urban focused activity. 

Prospective students can sometimes find Pitt’s urban environment intimidating or unappealing. If the school had a club fishing team, students could enjoy both urban and traditional outdoor activities.

Students should have a variety of available extra-curricular activities, and a club fishing team would be an excellent opportunity for diversifying the pool of options. Students who still prefer urban environments but have some outdoor appreciation can pursue a fishing club for a balanced activity. Fishing is a prime way to combine the urban and the outdoors, such as through fishing downtown on the Allegheny River. 

Additionally, although fishing competitions usually do not include keeping the fish participants caught, student fishermen or fisherwomen could annually venture outside Pittsburgh to catch fish to bring back for charitable purposes. The students could deliver the fish caught on these trips to local shelters or indigent communities.

More opportunity outside the classroom can help students find their career calling. The Trib article chronicled 19-year-old Carnegie Mellon fishing team member Eric Bykowsky, of Oakland. Since he joined the CMU fishing team, Bykowsky has garnered a marketing internship with Pure Fishing, and now plans to join the industry as a career choice.

As summer approaches, get outside and remember the value of a potential Pitt fishing club. After all, it would be a great catch for the University.