Sunrise mornings and long days are all part of the deal in a day with the Cyclone Bass Club.

The club consists of roughly 10 members, down from last year’s roster of 25. This is the club’s third spring as an organized group.

The club usually competes in two types of tournaments, one being a “paper” tournament. Groups of three are formed in the early morning and then given free reign to fish anywhere they please, with a game plan to meet in a designated spot at 5 p.m.

“We usually meet at the ramp of the lake at around 7 a.m. and draw numbers to see which boat takes off first, second, etc.,” said Nick Fehring, senior in animal ecology and secretary of the club.

Fish caught throughout the day are measured or weighed and written down by the groups before they are released. A fish has to reach 12 inches for it to vie for the win, and only an individual’s top five fish are eligible for the day’s weigh-in. The catches have to be verified by someone in the group to count. When the teams regroup, the weights of each members’ catches are added up and a winner is determined.

A second tournament is the typical boating style, which begins with a boat-owning member being paired with a boatless member.

The top five fish 15 inches or longer are either recorded on paper or kept until the end of the day when the weigh-in occurs around 5 p.m. The weights are then either collectively tallied on paper, or a live weigh-in is held. The fish are subsequently released back into the water.

“We usually have one paper tournament in the fall, and in the spring we usually have one or two paper tournaments and several boating tournaments,” Fehring said.

In the fall, the club journeys to southwest Iowa to two gravel pits, which are private but open to the group because of one member’s access. After camping out on Friday, the club spends the following day drawing partners and fishing relentlessly. The normal boating tournament rules are applied.

Last year, the club competed in tournaments at Saylorville Lake, Pine Lake and a large one at Brushy Creek, which featured teams from Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. The Cyclone club nabbed a second-place finish.

A major tournament this weekend at the Truman Reservoir in Missouri was canceled because of high water levels. The tournament has not yet been rescheduled.

“We were going to compete against Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Texas, Minnesota, Purdue, Michigan and some other schools that I don’t know,” Fehring said. “I think there was going to be 11 colleges there.”

Meetings for the club are held twice a month in the spring and fall and once a month in the winter. The club is looking for more members, especially anyone with a passion for fishing.

“Anyone who goes to Iowa State can join, and we accept anyone who likes to fish,” Fehring said.

“It is a lot of fun for anyone who enjoys fishing.”