Apr 25
On April 25th, Learn 2 Fish With Us volunteers taught hands on fishing skills to the students. The three stations included; casting safely and accurately, tying different knots that are needed and rigging of a fishing combo. The students helped rig forty fishing combos for Learn 2 Fish With Us upcoming fishing clinics.
Apr 12
On April 12th, Captain Greg Karch of Learn 2 Fish With Us, visited West Bend East High School where he taught two Adventure classes the skills and equipment needed to begin fishing. They learned; safety while fishing, spin cast and spinning fishing combos, how to cast safely and accurately, simple fishing presentations, how to tie the Clinch and Palomar knot, fish identification, live and artificial bait, aquatic invasive species and so much more.
At the end of the semester, Adventure class students will attend a weekend gateway where they will go camping. While camping they will utilize the fishing equipment they rigged and the fishing skills they learned. A big thank you goes out to the National Professional Anglers Association for providing the fishing combos that the school will keep. Each youth received a fishing goodie thanks to Learn 2 Fish With Us sponsors.
Mar 31
Captain Greg Karch of Learn 2 Fish With Us and the National Professional Anglers Association held a fishing clinic for the third graders of Westside Elementary on the afternoon of March 31st. Captain Greg has been hosting Fishing Basic seminars for Westside Elementary for the last eleven years. Westside Elementary is located in Kimberly, Wisconsin.
Eight-nine third graders learned about the equipment and skills needed to begin fishing, through an interactive Fishing Basics seminar. Fishing Basics taught students; safety while fishing, spin cast and spinning fishing combos, how to cast safely and accurately, knots, fish identification, live and artificial bait, aquatic invasive species, logging fishing trips, conservation and so much more. After the seminar many students had questions for Captain Greg such as; ‘What’s your biggest fish you caught?? and “What’s your favorite fish to fish for?’ and so many more.
At the end of the fishing clinic students learned they would receive a NPAA Future Angler shirt and a fishing educational book thanks to the National Professional Anglers Association, Future Angler Foundation and Learn 2 Fish Were the third graders excited!! Captain Greg got writer’s cramp signing the shirts and hats for so many of the students.
Mar 26
Captain Greg drove eighty miles through a blizzard to attend the 4H Family Day at Dodgeland Middle School, located in
Juneau, Wisconsin to teach fishing. Captain Greg Certified Angler Educator of Learn 2 Fish With Us and NPAA member #138 has never canceled an event he said he would attend.
Families learned to fish by attending the ‘Fishing Basics’ seminar, which educated them on the skills and equipment needed to begin fishing. ‘Fishing Basics’ is a hands-on interactive seminar that demonstrates the equipment and skills, and has youth come up and work with Captain Greg to utilize the equipment and do the skill. This way their peer group feels good that they can also do the skill or utilize the equipment. Topics include; safety while fishing, spin cast and spinning fishing combos, casting safely and accurately, basic fishing presentations, knots, fish identification, parts of a fish, live and artificial bait and aquatic invasive species and so much more.
Thanks to the National Professional Anglers Association and Learn 2 Fish With Us youth attending the seminars received the following; spin cast fishing combo, a NPAA Future Pro Shirt, along with a fishing educational book.
Mar 21
On Tuesday, March 21st, it may have been a cold dreary day outside but, Captain Greg Karch of Learn 2 Fish With Us and National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) had fun inside teaching fourth graders the Fishing Basics. Captain Greg hosted two Fishing Basics seminars at Omro Elementary for over seventy students where they learned about the equipment and skills needed to begin fishing through the interactive seminar!! They learned; safety while fishing, spin cast and spinning fishing combos, how to cast safely and accurately, simple fishing presentations, how to tie the Clinch and Palomar knot, fish identification, live and artificial bait, aquatic invasive species and so much more.
This was the second year of Learn 2 Fish With Us hosting fishing seminars at Omro Elementary. Dave, the principle along with the teachers of Omro Elementary were so happy to have us back as they feel we have a fun and educational program.
Thanks to the National Professional Anglers Association, Shakespeare, Mercury Marine and Learn 2 Fish With Us, each student received a NPAA Future Pro Shirt and fishing educational book.
Mar 18
Thank you Madison Fishing Expo for your donation to support our 2023 Fishing Clinics!! We so appreciate the support and know together we are making a difference!!
Mar 18
Thank you Dave’s Musky Club for the very generous donation to support our 2023 Fishing Clinics!! We so appreciate the support over the last 14 years and know together we are making a difference!!
Mar 13
Captain Greg, Certified Angler Educator of Learn 2 Fish With Us and NPAA member #138 along with Karen Karch NPAA member #121 hosted two seminars at the Milwaukee Sport Show, and did they pack the seminar room!!
The first seminar, ‘Fishing Basics’, was held on Saturday, March 11th and it was packed!! ‘Fishing Basics’ educated youth, families and adults to all the skills and equipment needed to begin fishing. Topics include; safety while fishing, spin cast and spinning fishing combos, casting safely and accurately, basic fishing presentations, knots, fish identification, parts of a fish, live and artificial bait and aquatic invasive species and so much more. 
The second seminar, ‘Beyond The Basics’ was held on Sunday, March 12th to another full house!! ‘Beyond The Basics’ seminar is built upon the ‘Fishing Basic’ skills and equipment and educates attendees on: bait caster and line counter reels, jigs and plastics, crankbaits, crawler harnesses, jigging and trolling presentations, how a graph works, maps, filleting a fish and cooking fish.
Thanks to the National Professional Anglers Association and Learn 2 Fish With Us youth attending the seminars received the following; Shakespeare fishing combo, mini tackle box with tackle or a NPAA Future Pro Shirt, along with a fishing educational book.
Mar 10
Paul A. Smith
In the early 2000s Greg Karch of Oshkosh was a case study in burning the candle at both ends.
Not only was he working full-time as an IT developer but he was simultaneously pursuing a mostly weekend passion as a pro walleye angler on several tournament circuits.
To top it off, with the encouragement of his employer, Thrivent, a financial services company with an operations center in Appleton, Karch also was an active volunteer in the community.
He was such a standout on work at Harbor House (a domestic abuse shelter in Appleton) and on Thrivent Builds projects (constructing housing) that in 2009 Karch was awarded the company’s volunteer of the year award.
The 501(c)3 non-profit organization teaches fishing through seminars at sports shows, schools and other sites.
Its motto is: “Educate. Inspire. Fish on!”
Karch grew up in Brookfield and had a friend who he often fished with in area parks and lakes, including Minooka Park in Waukesha.
“I was fortunate to have grown up in a family that supported fishing and I had access to it,” said Karch, 59. “But I know many, many kids don’t have it that way and I wanted to create an organization that could help teach fishing and provide resources to new anglers.”
Karch will bring his top programs to the 2023 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show. On Saturday he’ll present his “Fishing Basics” seminar and on Sunday “Beyond the Basics.”
In addition to education, the clinics offer free tackle to the first 75 attendees under the age of 16.
Now in its 82nd year, the show is the Midwest’s longest-running gathering of fishing, hunting and boating products, travel destinations, activities and entertainment.
Karch, now retired from Thrivent, said his mission is to help get as many kids as possible into the outdoors by fishing.
About 35.8 million Americans age 16 and older went fishing in 2016, while 11.5 million hunted and 86 million watched wildlife, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The survey is conducted every five years; the 2021 report has not been released.
Therefore in 2016, 14% of Americans 16 years of age or older fished, 4% hunted and 34% participated in wildlife watching, according to the USFWS.
In what is widely perceived as a positive development, the number of anglers in the 2016 nationwide survey was up 8% from the previous work in 2011.
Not only do anglers purchase state licenses and stamps that help fund habitat improvement projects, improve boat ramps and public access and support fish stocking programs, but activity in the sport is a major economic force. Anglers spent $46.1 billion in direct expenditures on fishing in 2016, according to the USFWS. Fishing license sales in Wisconsin have shown some fluctuations, including a spike during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but have averaged 1.3 million a year over the last two decades, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
Karch said he has hosted 350 fishing clinics and worked with about 80,000 youth and adults since 2007.
“I was a IT developer so I had to break things down and put things together,” Karch said. “I feel like we have a good formula for teaching fishing and we’re excited to share it.”
“There’s nothing better for me than to help start a new angler on their path to fishing,” Karch said. “It’s more rewarding than any tournament trophy could ever be.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are available online for $10 at jssportsshow.com or for $12 at the door. Youth tickets (ages 6-17) are $5 online or at the door. Children 5 years old and younger are admitted free. Active-duty military, veterans and first responders are admitted free every day with valid ID or credentials. Reduced admission for seniors (55+), $8 at the door on Thursday, with valid ID. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in uniform get in free on Sunday.
For more information about the show, including details about vendor updates, stage schedules and more, visit the show website or follow on Facebook (facebook.com/JSSportsShow) and Twitter (twitter.com/mjssportsshow).
Feb 27
Captain Greg, Learn 2 Fish With Us, National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) and the Wisconsin Fishing Expo have partnered for the last eleven years to bring youth and fishing education to the Wisconsin Fishing Expo!! Thanks to Learn 2 Fish With Us and NPAA members Karen Karch #121 and Greg Karch #138 for hosting three seminars this past weekend to educate youth and adults to the great sport of fishing. The first Fishing Basics seminar was Captain Greg’s and Learn 2 Fish With Us, three hundredth and fortieth fishing clinic since their inception in 2009.
Captain Greg introduced his new seminar ‘Beyond The Basics’ during the Wisconsin Fishing Expo. Beyond The Basics seminar was created so youth that attended previous Fishing Basics seminars had another seminar to build their tool box with more advanced equipment and fishing skills education. 
Greg and Karen hosted two ‘Fishing Basics’ seminars during the show which educated youth, families and adults to all the skills and equipment need to begin fishing. ‘Fishing Basics’ educates attendees on; safety while fishing, spin cast and spinning fishing combos, casting safely and accurately, basic fishing presentations, knots, fish identification, parts of a fish, live and artificial bait and aquatic invasive species and so much more. ‘Beyond The Basics’ seminar is built upon the ‘Fishing Basic’ skills and equipment and educates attendees on: bait caster and line counter reels, jigs and plastics, crankbaits, crawler harnesses, jigging and trolling presentations, how a graph works, maps, filleting a fish and cooking fish.
Thanks to the National Professional Anglers Association and Learn 2 Fish With Us youth attending the seminars received one of the following; Shakespeare fishing combo, mini tackle box with tackle or a NPAA Future Pro Shirt, along with a fishing educational book.
