Kids fishing camp 2010 (long)

[alumacraftjoe]

This years addition of fishing camp was a huge success! Lower numbers this year, but a great group that learned a lot. We spent three days at school learning about safety, tackle, rods/reels, knot tying, casting practice, etc. Each participant learned to tie the improved cinch knot and the Palomar knot. Each camper received a folder with everything we learned in camp and a small tackle pack (hooks, weights, bobber, and a few jigs I tied or received in swaps, as well as a fishing rod.

We targeted gills with red worms and crickets. Several nice gills and one nice red ear were taken by the kids....:

About 30 minutes in everyone had caught a fish except for one girl.... she finally hooked up and the fish wrapped her around a tree under the water. Our gracious host couldn't let that happen and hopped in the 8ft. jon boat and got the fish unwrapped and now everyone was on the board:

Many bass and catfish fell for the kids presentations and the kids were psyched to here the drag singing :

My daughter didn't participate in camp, but came on the final day for the fishing! She really enjoyed her custom rod I got her for her birthday and she handled her new spinning reel like a champ! (got it last Oct. and hadn't gotten to use it much until today) Taylor caught all her fish on a couple of jigs I tied. She picked up about 6 bass and 8 gills on the day and pretty much stayed to herself so I could work with the other kids. She did help get fish off the hook for others when I was busy. I did manage to sneak over to her side and get a pic with one of her nice bass.

Kids at the end with their tackle packs and binders... total haul for the group - 29 gills, 1 red ear, 6 catfish, and 19 bass ... pretty good couple of hours at the pond this morning!

 

[Brine]

Congrats Joe.

Looks like a great time was had

 

[breachless]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing: looks like those kids had a blast!

 

[Waterwings]

Joe, that's a great project you're involved with for the kids, and something they will remember forever 8) .


If I don't soon get out to go fishing, I may have to attend the camp next summer as a refresher course, lol.

 

[bassboy1]

If I don't soon get out to go fishing, I may have to attend the camp next summer as a refresher course, lol.

Let the kids teach it. They're certainly outfishing me. :roll:

Awesome project! =D>

 

[alumacraftjoe]

Thanks for the comments.... the kids were great this year!!!!!!! I have been doing this for 3 years and I always get a couple who aren't too interested and can't pay attention. This year everybody was soaking it up like a sponge and completely on task, which made them much better on fishing day and made for a fun week!

 

[breachless]

I work for a Charter School and have always wanted to take a couple of our kids out fishing... Our student population is largely composed of "at-risk" inner city high-school students (many of them considered homeless) that have probably never held a fishing rod in their entire lives.

I know that some of them would really dig it, but it just hasn't quite happened. Perhaps if I offered to pay for their licenses it might fly, but again, it's tough because you can only take so many of those types of kids under the watch of one adult. The risks are pretty high...

I think I am going to try again next year though. Get the school to spring for a few cheap rods and reels, and maybe pay for half of the fishing licenses so the kids can afford it. I shudder to think about what it would be like if I was never introduced to fishing...

Threads like this are inspiring to me...

 

[alumacraftjoe]

I work for a Charter School and have always wanted to take a couple of our kids out fishing... Our student population is largely composed of "at-risk" inner city high-school students (many of them considered homeless) that have probably never held a fishing rod in their entire lives.

I know that some of them would really dig it, but it just hasn't quite happened. Perhaps if I offered to pay for their licenses it might fly, but again, it's tough because you can only take so many of those types of kids under the watch of one adult. The risks are pretty high...

I think I am going to try again next year though. Get the school to spring for a few cheap rods and reels, and maybe pay for half of the fishing licenses so the kids can afford it. I shudder to think about what it would be like if I was never introduced to fishing...

Threads like this are inspiring to me...

In KY and IN (I teach in KY and live in Indiana) youth do not need fishing license. Plus we fish on private property so a license is not needed for adult helpers either. Go for it a lot of the stores will give you free stuff as well. One year I got the fishing poles for free and this year at our local wal-mart a guy I know used his employee discount to purchase equipment.