By Kylie Jordan

MONTEVALLO, Ala. –  Nick Dumke has spent his entire life fishing. From the time he was one year old, Dumke has been exposed to the world of fishing.  For the past three years, he has had the opportunity to expand his favorite pastime to the world of collegiate competitive fishing. 

Dumke is a senior at the University of Montevallo, majoring in marketing with minors in sports business and social media administration. When Dumke graduates, he hopes to use his degree in the fishing industry.

“I don’t really know what exactly yet, but something in the outdoor industry,” Dumke said.

Fishing has always been something Dumke has enjoyed. “I got into the like competitive side of things in probably like high school,” Dumke said, “and then that’s where it started to get serious. Then I was like, ‘Oh my gosh college, fishing is even a thing?’ It’s wild.”

As a Minnesota native, Dumke first heard of the University of Montevallo and its fishing team from a high school friend back in Minnesota. “He came down here, and he’s a year ahead of me,” Dumke explained.

Dumke’s jump into collegiate competitive fishing was truly a leap of faith with full trust in his high school friend. “He told me about the program and everything and was like, ‘Check it out. You should come down here.’ or whatever. So I checked it out, and I actually didn’t even visit. I just talked with the coach and was like, ‘I’m sold.’ 

“So I checked it out, and I actually didn’t even visit. I just talked with the coach and was like, ‘I’m sold.’”

Nick Dumke

Dumke has explained the cultural difference between the North and the South as “mainly kinda in your head.” Being from the North, Dumke had his preconceived notion that the South was very different. Dumke said although there were some differences when he first came down to Montevallo, it was not the drastic difference he thought it would be.

“Everything’s been good. I get a few Yankee jokes here and there,” Dumke said. “Otherwise, everyone’s kind of just best friends. There’s no real big difference.” 

Dumke would say he has experienced southern hospitality in the South. “It’s kinda funny because Minnesota’s known for ‘Minnesota nice,’ but then I’ve had Southern people that I know go up to Minnesota and be like, ‘You guys are jerks,’” Dumke said. “And then when I come down here, everyone is like ‘sweetheart’.” 

Competitive fishing has been something that has made Dumke’s college experience special. “I like it a lot. It’s been fun,” Dumke said. “We travel a whole bunch and we have a ton of different guys and stuff. So I met tons and tons of people and travel all over the country, and so.”

Dumke’s favorite part about collegiate competitive fishing is traveling. “It can be a bit much,” Dumke said, but he makes his experience unique. 

The team aspect of collegiate competitive fishing is also something that makes Dumke’s experience special. With a team full of guys, “I’ve met dudes from all over the country. Some of my best friends are from North Carolina and Arizona– like guys from all over the country,” Dumke said. 

The competitive side of being on a fishing team in college is just a plus to Dumke. He describes it as the perfect combination of “doing what I love but doing it competitively.”

The environment of being in a competitive fishing tournament is unlike any other he said. Somedays fishing can be more fast-paced, “You’re running around all over catching fish,” said Dumke. For those tougher tournaments, Dumke said those are the tournaments that are harder and more competitive. 

Dumke is also active in the Outdoor Scholars Program at the University of Montevallo. This program is coupled with UM’s award-winning bass team. “That really is just get together and have meetings like every couple of weeks,” Dumke explained.  “…then part of that too you get to go on hunting trips and fishing trips throughout the year. And then we all meet and do like cookouts and hang out and that kind of stuff.”

These different outreaches into the University of Montevallo community have made Dumke enjoy his experience at Montevallo more. “It definitely makes it to where we all kinda just bond naturally, where we all just meet up like that,” he said. 

At first, Dumke’s experience in Outdoor Scholars felt like a chore. “The meetings are like ‘Oh man you gotta meet,’ but then it’s also nice because then everyone can get together and like actually spend time,” Dumke said. 

The Outdoor Scholars Program made it easier for Dumke to make new friends when he arrived in Alabama in the fall of 2020. “That definitely helps settle into campus and settle into being in the South is meeting all those people,” said Dumke. 

Dumke’s favorite memory from his time at the University of Montevallo was when he won his first national championship during his freshman year. 

Meeting people from all over the country has been one of the best opportunities the University of Montevallo has given Dumke. 

“Before, being from Minnesota, my friend group was just like Minnesota obviously. Now meeting all these people like, I’ve already went and traveled and visited friends all over,” Dumke said. “We’ll know each other for years to come and go visit there and that kind of thing.”