On June 5th and June 6th Learn 2 Fish With Us attended Oshkosh Leadership Academy where fourth and fifth graders from the Oshkosh School District attended.  Over one hundred fifty students attended each day where they were divided into four groups. The fishing station was one of four stations that the students attended,  At the Fishing Station, Captain Greg taught the students on the skills and equipment needed to fish.  After the seminar, youth then went fishing where they caught perch, crappie, bluegill and bullhead.  Thanks to The Reel Shot for providing bait for the two days of fishing.  Thanks to the National Professional Anglers Association, each youth went home with a NPAA Future Pro shirt.  These youth will have the opportunity to fish at the Secret Fishing Spot on June 19th.

Learn 2 Fish With Us trained the Crossway Camping Ministries staff on the skills and equipment needed to fish.  This will be the first year that the camp will offer fishing as a camp activity, which is so awesome.  Captain Greg educated the staff on the fishing equipment that they purchased so they knew how to use it along with maintain it, besides educating them all the skills needed to fish, regulations on fishing and the AIS message.  After the seminar the Crossway Camping Ministries Staff practiced all the skills along with rigging up the fishing combos that the campers would use.

Captain Greg was so excited to learn that Crossway Camping Ministries wanted him to train their staff along with being excited that fishing was being offered as a camp activity.  Learn 2 Fish With Us provided tackle to rig up their fishing combo’s along with a couple tackle boxes with tackle.  Learn 2 Fish With Us also provided some Shakespeare My Fishing Journals!!  Now campers let’s go FISHING!!!

On Saturday, June 2nd, Learn 2 Fish With Us had a booth that taught attendee’s on the skills and equipment needed to fish.  The main attraction was Lake Shakespeare which was stocked with plenty of Backyard Bass!!  They learn how to cast and cast accurate with the help of Captain Greg and the Learn 2 Fish With Us volunteers.  Besides casting, attendee’s were learned how to identify fish along with where they can be found and the bait they link.  Attendee’s also learn how to tie a Clinch and Palomar knot.  Learn 2 Fish With Us had hourly door prizes for the youth which included Shakespeare fishing combo and Berkley tackle boxes.

At 12:30 Captain Greg presented his Fishing Basics seminar where attendee’s learned about all the skills and equipment needed to fish.  Every youth attending the Fishing Basics seminar received a Shakespeare My Fishing Journal along with a Plano Stowaway with Tru-Turn hooks, Northland jigs, sinkers and a bobber.  Everything needed for fishing!!  Thanks Shawano Sun Drop Dayz for sponsoring us for being there!!

On Saturday May 19th, Captain Greg and Karen instructed youth on how to cast at the Sturgeon Bay Bass Open Kids Fishing Day and you could hear the youth saying they Got One!!  Which was a Backyard Bass!!  Prior to the second days tournament weigh-ins, it was time for the kids to improve there fishing skills and play fun games where they could win cool prizes.  Learn 2 Fish With Us had a booth setup with their pop-up banners which instructed youth and parents on safety while fishing, how to tie different knots and fish identification.  Our main attraction was casting instruction where the kids had the opportunity to catch Backyard Bass when they had a good cast.  There were many kids that casted for their first time and you should have seen how excited the kids got, but the parents I think, were even more excited.  We also helped kids that knew how to cast, become more accurate at casting.

Thanks to the NPAA many of the kids went home with a fishing combo or NPAA Future Pro short.

On Wednesday, May 9th, Learn 2 Fish With Us traveled to Wisconsin Dells, Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center to teach students from Hawley Environmental School on the skills and equipment needed to fish.  Hawley Environment School is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and very few of the students have an opportunity to get into the outdoors, so they take a couple days to experience the outdoors.

Captain Greg started out the afternoon with his Fishing Basics seminar and was followed by fishing on the Wisconsin River.  The group was split into two groups so that the Learn 2 Fish With Us volunteers could help the kids while fishing.  Fishing was difficult due to the high waters and heavy current in the river.  Two students did manage to catch two small mouth.

Thanks to the NPAA all the youth went hope with Future Pro shirt and a AIS water bottle and Shakespeare educational book.

On Friday May4th, the third graders at Woodland School learned about all the skills and equipment the day before Wisconsin’s Fishing Opener.  Woodland School is located in Kimberly, Wisconsin!!

Captain Greg, hosted two Fishing Basics seminars at Woodland, so they could break up the large group into to smaller groups.  The third graders were excited and eager to participate in the Fishing Basics seminar.  These kids had so many questions and when Captain Greg asked for volunteers almost everyone raised there hand.  Fishing Basics educates the youth on all the skills and equipment needed to fish.  Some of the third graders planned on using the newly learned skills on Fishing Opening Day.  Thanks to the NPAA all the youth went hope with Future Pro shirt and a AIS water bottle.  Captain Greg also gave a Shakespeare fishing combo to a boy and girl in each of the seminars that participated the most during the seminar.

Captain Greg shared news to the students that they would be holding a Fishing Clinic at a Secret Fishing Spot on June 19th.  On the first day we had eight youth sign-up for the Secret Fishing Spot clinic..

On Thursday, May3rd, Learn 2 Fish With Us Certified Angler Educator, Greg Karch hosted a fishing seminar to introduce St. Martin Lutheran School students to the skills and equipment needed to fish.  St. Martin Lutheran School is located in Clintonville, Wisconsin which has many locations to fish from.   The audience was made up of third through eighth graders which shows the diversification our Fishing Basics seminar has to keep all ages engaged during the seminar.  The afternoon started out with the Fishing Basics seminar, educated the students on all the skills and equipment needed to fish such as: safety while fishing, fishing combos, how to cast, fishing presentations, knots, bait, fish identification, parts of a fish, the environment and the Clean Drain Dry message.  Thanks to the NPAA, each of the students went home with a Future Pro shirt and selected students received a door prize of a Shakespeare fishing combo or Plano Stowaway with tackle.

Not sure what the big news of the day was?  Learn 2 Fish With Us participating in Discovery Worlds Earth Day or warm weather finally arriving here in Wisconsin. Over five thousand people attended this event and boy were we busy instructing youth and parents on how to cast with a Shakespeare spin cast and spinning  fishing combo.  We had Lake Shakespeare stocked with fifty Backyard Bass which kept us very busy.  For the young kids we taught them about catch and release as we had them release the Backyard Bass into the lake.   While families were waiting to cast they learn about fishing safety, knots and fish identification through our Pop Banners.   So many parents wanted to learn how to cast which really gives us hope that they will begin to fish.  Most youth received some awesome fishing goods from fishing combos, NPAA Future Pro shirts, Plano Stowaway, Off Shore Tackle line clippers, Tru-Turn hooks and Northland jigs.

Besides casting, we instructed everyone that when going to an area that they try to leave the area cleaner than when they arrived!!  Discovery World in located Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Rain, sleet and snow could not keep Learn 2 Fish With Us from Fish Fest which was held at Regner Park in West Bend, Wisconsin.  On April 14th, Fish Fest was held and Learn 2 Fish With Us was there to educate the future anglers.  When Captain Greg left Oshkosh, Wisconsin the roads where completely ice but Fish Fest was a go, so Learn 2 Fish With Us attended.  We knew the weather would be bad, and that many of the youth would not choose to fish, even knowing five hundred trout were stocked for the event.  So it was up to us to be down there to offer hands on education for the fishing skills.  Learn 2 Fish With Us had their newly created pop-up banners for fish identification and they were a hit. Learn 2 Fish With Us wants to make sure we are always hosting a first class fishing clinic.  A few anglers stuck out the tough weather conditions and caught two trout!!  Thanks to Learn 2 Fish With Us and the sponsors every youth went home with a prize pack along with a door prize that were all fishing related.  Last year this event had over four hundred kids attend the event due to awesome weather conditions.

On the day of one of the biggest snow storms of the year in Wisconsin, Learn 2 Fish With Us volunteers 4-wheeled across town in several inches of snow to attend the Fox Cities Kidz Expo on Saturday April 14th in Appleton at the 2nd annual Fox Cities Expo.  Though attendance was lighter than expected due to the driving snow and wind, hundreds of kids and their families still managed to make their way to the event and got lots of casting time at the Learn2FishWithUs indoor “pond.”

This event had everything for the kids, but believe it or not, fishing still lured kids over to see what kind of fun could be had fishing for our Backyard Bass indoors.  With instruction from our hardy volunteers, the youth learned the three basics of fishing that Captain Greg always likes to teach: always look behind before casting, cast over your shoulder utilizing the ten o-clock / two o-clock overhand casting method, and set the hook.

Many youth improved after instruction along with lots of casting practice since lines were shorter due to the snowstorm.  After the youth casted a couple times, you could hear FISH ON, as Learn 2 Fish With Us as they hooked into our Backyard Bass!!  While youth waited in line they learned about safety while fishing, different knots that could be tied and how tie them, along with fish identification.

We look forward to attending this wonderful event again next year!