Dominic and Erich Competing in Bassmaster College Nationals

Dominic Begier and Erich Thompson of SUNY ESF have qualified for the Bassmaster College National Championship on Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City, TN. From July 10-12, they'll compete to earn the title of national college fishing champions and a chance to qualify for the College Bracket, where they could even earn a berth to the biggest tournament in bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic!

SUNY ESF is a small school that supports the team however it can, but traveling 12 hours south and staying there for both practice and competition days (9 days including travel) is extremely expensive. Dom and Erich need your support in order to make their dream of competing at the highest level a reality! Your donations will be used for essentials like food and drinks to keep the boys fishing well in the Tennessee heat, lodging so they can be comfortable, stay near the boat launch and focus on fishing, and gas for both the tow vehicle and boat.

Both Dom and Erich have been members of the SUNY ESF Bass Fishing Team since they entered college, but they have been fishing for far longer than that. Competing in a national championship is difficult to do, but it is an amazing learning opportunity, and, if they do well, is a potential doorway to taking the next step towards professional bass fishing.

Beyond being phenomenal anglers, they have also made significant contributions to the tight-knit bass fishing community at ESF. Erich has been involved from the very start, winning his first 4 local college events and giving seminars to the team at our biweekly meetings. He is also the incoming president for Spring 2026. Dom is the current president, and spent years serving in various officer roles prior to that, helping steer the team and organize events. He spearheaded multiple fundraiser tournaments, including our annual Autism Awareness event, which raised nearly $1000 for charities that support taking special needs children fishing and exposing them to the outdoors. He is dedicating this tournament to his late grandfather, the man who introduced him to fishing and kickstarted a lifelong pursuit.

These two young men are special people, on and off the water. Please join us in supporting them for this once in a lifetime opportunity! You can follow their tournament journey through updates shared to our social media (@esf_bassmasters) on Instagram and Facebook, as well as through bassmaster.com during the event.