The Badger Sportsman Magazine and Learn 2 Fish With Us hosted a day of fishing and education for the Oshkosh Boys & Girls Club.  The event was held on August 15^th at Menominee Park in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  The day started out with the youth being split into two groups.  One group stayed behind and was taught about all the skills and equipment needed to go fishing by Learn 2 Fish With Us Angler Educator and NPAA member #138, Greg Karch.  The youth learned everything from safety while fishing, spinning and spin cast fishing combos, how to cast and set the hook, different fishing presentations, how to tie a Palomar and Clinch knot, fish identification, live and artificial bait and the AIS message of ‘Clean Drain Dry’.  The other group of youth went fishing on lake Winnebago from boats.  When the kids returned they were excited to talk about the different fish they caught and the fun they had on the water thanks to Art, Chase and Steve from the Badger Sportsman Magazine.  The youth caught walleye, sheephead, white bass, perch and were proud to show off their catch.

The youth then flipped stations and the youth that learned about fishing and were excited it was their turn to go fishing and utilize some of the newly learned skills. Greg was amazed what the youth learned while fishing, especially from the youth that had never fished.  At noon, it was time for all the youth to return and learn how to fillet fish.  They were excited!!  After the days catch was  filleted, it was time for a Good Ole Fish Fry!!  All the youth tried the fish and many of them had seconds and even thirds!!  It was then time for the youth to leave, but before this happened a group picture was taken and Learn 2 Fish With Us had presented each youth with a Shakespeare fishing combo so they continue their journey of fishing.

Greg would like thank his and Learn 2 Fish With Us sponsor’s: National Professional Anglers Association, Dave’s Musky Club, Shakespeare, Badger Sportsman Magazine, Thrivent Financial, Writing By Design LLC, James & Rosanne Keller Family Foundation, Mercury, Triton Boats, Future Angler Foundation, The Boat Doc, Berkley, Off Shore Tackle Company, Plano, Frabill, Northland Tackle, TTI Blakemore Fishing Group, Maui Jim, Mad Wraps LLC and The Reel Shot.

Is your group looking for a fishing clinic in 2018, send an email to Greg at [email protected] and he will get in contact with you.

Learn 2 Fish With Us attended Get Up And Go!!! Days which was held in Appleton, Wisconsin at the Timber Rattler stadium on Saturday August 5th!!  This event was held by Public Broadcast Television to get kids out doing activities.  Captain Greg and Karen Karch taught youth how to cast utilizing Backyard Bass.  You should have seen the line of youth as each of them wanted the opportunity to catch a Backyard Bass!!!  Besides casting the youth and families also learned about fish identification, knots and more.   Thanks to the great weather there was a huge turnout of youth and families.

Each youth went home with a fishing related prize thank to Learn 2 Fish With Us sponsors!!!

Learn 2 Fish With Us attended Farm Technology Days which was held at a farm in Kewaunee, Wisconsin.  This year Farm Technology Days was held from July 11th through July 13th.  Learn 2 Fish With Us had a Fishing Educational Booth in the 4H area of Farm Tech Days.  Thanks to the Genskow family for hosting the Learn 2 Fish With Us fishing educational booth.  The day started out with the Genskow’s setting up Lakes Shakespeare which is 30 x 40 foot tarp that resembles a lake and it was stocked with plenty of Backyard Bass for the catching.  The youth were taught how to cast at Lake Shakespeare were they were taught about casting over their shoulder, using the 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock method along with always looking behind them so they do not hook anyone.  The Fishing Educational Booth also included education on fish identification, knots and more.

Thanks to the National Professional Anglers Association and Learn 2 Fish With Us sponsors of the kids received a fishing related item!!!  Learn 2 Fish With Us has attended Farm Technology Days for the last six years where we have worked with thousands of youth!!!  Farm Technology Days thanks for having us in the 4H area and for the additional volunteers.  Thanks Genskow family for your help at the event!!

Learn 2 Fish With Us and Discovery World held a Fish Camp in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 29th.  The Fish Camp started out inside Discovery World were Captain Greg presented his Fishing Basics seminar that educates youth and adults on all the skills needed to go fishing.  Greg started out asking the youth how old they thought the thirty-three inch walleye was and the youth were guessing all different ages from four years old to thirty-three years old.  Many of the youth were amazed to find out it was twenty-eight years old.  Next the youth learned all the skills needed to fish which included safety, fishing combos, casting, bait, knots, fish identification and AIS Message of Clean Drain Dry. After the seminar the youth learned that they would be getting a fishing combo that they would be able to keep and use to go fishing that afternoon.  The youth had a small hike to where they would go fishing but it was worth it as many fish were caught. Check out the pictures!!!  Do they look like they had a blast!!!

UW Oshkosh Titans Fishing Team and Learn 2 Fish With Us hosted a Fishing Clinic at Menominee Park in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  The event was held on Saturday June 24th and kicked-off at 10 AM.  What was special about this Fishing Clinic, was, there were many UW Oshkosh Fishing Team members, which allowed educational stations to be used to educate.  The youth were split into six groups that attended each station for fifteen minutes and got hand on training.  The six educational stations were; safety, fish identification, casting, Aquatic Invasive Species, fishing presentations and bait along with learn about the fishing combo they would be receiving.

After the youth attended all the educational stations they were given a fishing combo and a Future Pro shirt and went fishing where bluegills and Sheephead were caught.   They fished for almost an hour and a half and were all very patient!!!

Once the Fishing Clinic ended the UW Oshkosh Fishing Team and Learn 2 Fish With Us volunteers had a Backyard Bass casting championship where Captain Greg won it.

Learn 2 Fish With Us traveled over four hundred miles to be a part of Kids Fishing Day.  This was the twenty-sixth annual event which was held in Manistique, Michigan on June 10th.  Kids Fishing Day is hosted during Michigan’s free fishing weekend.  Last year, Learn 2 Fish With Us attended the event and the group that organizes the event was excited that we were back for the 2017 event.

This year we brought more fishing educational components, so the youth would have more hands on learning such as fish identification, casting, setting the hook, safety and tying knots.  Over 350 youth attended this event.  A huge thanks to all the Us Forestry volunteers that helped in our booth!!!  The National Professional Anglers Association sent me Future Pro shirts to give to the kids.  Many of the kids asked if Captain Greg would sign their shirts.  Greg had writer’s cramp once all the shirts were signed.  This was Learn 2 Fish With Us largest event in 2017 as they have now worked with over two thousand youth in 2017.

Learn 2 Fish With Us attended Shawano’s Sun Drop Dayz which was held this past Saturday, June 3rd in Shawano, Wisconsin.  Thanks to Jeff Ballwahn and his wife for sponsoring Learn 2 Fish With Us to be at the event.  Learn 2 Fish With Us fishing educational booth taught youth, families and adults many of the skills needed to fishing such as casting, knot tying, fish identification and more.  All these skills were taught through hands on education.   At 12:30 PM, Captain Greg hosted his Fishing Basics seminar which educated the youth and families on all the skills needed to fish from safety, fishing equipment, how to cast, fishing presentations, fish identification, keeping a fishing journal and the AIS Message of ‘Clean Drain Dry’ All youth attending the Fishing Basics seminar went home with a Shakespeare fishing combo that to National Professional Anglers Association and Learn 2 Fish With Us.  We also would like to thank Sun Drop for supplying cold Sun Drop to our volunteers as it was a very warm day!!!

On May 22nd the fifth graders from Hawley Environmental School were on an outdoor experience at Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center located in Wisconsin Dells.  Learn 2 Fish With Us was asked to provide the education on fishing along with taking them fishing.  The afternoon started out with Captain Greg presenting the Fishing Basics seminar where they learned about all the equipment along with the skills needed to fish.  Once the Fishing Basics seminar was completed, the group was split into four smaller groups so they could go fishing.  Prior to the seminar, Captain Greg checked out the are so they had a safe and hopefully good area to fish.  Due to the high and muddy water from the previous weeks rain, there was only a couple safe areas to fish.  The area Greg choose to fish was a back eddy off the main river.  Captain Greg was amazed at how the youth casted in an tight environment with trees and floating debris on the water.  The kids were excited when they or a classmate caught a fish.  You should have seen all the smiles when a fish was caught or a successful cast.  The fish caught were walleye, smallmouth and sheephead. .  Each youth received a NPAA Future Pro shirt and a Triton Boats or Off Shore Tackle Company hat.  Thanks to our sponsors.

This past Saturday may have been a cold and windy day but the kids and parents had smiles on their face has they learned about fishing.  Learn 2 Fish With Us was part of the Sturgeon Bay Bass Open (SBBOT) Kids Day which was held at Wave Point Maria in Sturgeon Bay.  Greg and Karen Karcg ran the Learn 2 Fish With Us booth which educated the youth on casting using Backyard Bass.  Here they learned how to cast and for the youth that knew how to cast learned how to cast better!!!  Other activities took place such as a casting contest, coloring contest, minnow races and more.  They even had inflatable toys for the youth.  At 12:30 PM Greg hosted his Fishing Basics seminar which educated the youth and families on all the skills needed to fish.

During the event Greg met Reece and Bryce who are 2016 & 2017 Wisconsin Junior Bass State Champions and Greg went head to head with them on Backyard Bass tournament.  They were amazed as Greg the walleye guy kicked there but.  That was so fun and they were great sports about it.  It was my pleasure meeting them and I see them doing great things as People and tourney fisherman!!!