This past weekend, Learn 2 Fish With Us Certified Angler Educator, Greg Karch, and Tim Euting and Karen Karch educated future anglers during the Wisconsin Fishing Expo which was held at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Greg hosted three ‘Learn 2 Fish With Us’ seminars which introduced youth and families to all the skills need to begin fishing. These skills included; fishing safety, spin cast and spinning combos, setting the hook, casting, knots, fish identification, parts of a fish, bait, catch and release, and the AIS message of ‘Clean, Drain and Dry’. Youth attending the seminar received a Shakespeare fishing combo or a NPAA Future Pro Shirt thanks to the National Professional Anglers Association.

Greg would like to thank his personal sponsors along with Learn 2 Fish With Us sponsors which include: Shakespeare, Berkley, Dave’s Musky Club, Writing By Design, Plano, Frabill, Mercury, Triton Boats, The Boat Doc, Off Shore Tackle Company, Northland Tackle, TTI Blakemore Fishing Group, Maui Jim and the Badger Sportsman.

This past week Thrivent employee’s helped refurbish Learn 2 Fish With Us fishing combo’s. Reels were checked that they were in good working order, all old line was removed and replenished with new Berkley XL eight pound line. All hooks and sinkers were replaced along with any bobbers that were cracked. Greg has been amazed at the quality of the Shakespeare fishing equipment as it was four years old and keeps on fishing!!!! All we have had to do is the standard maintenance. Shakespeare, thanks, for making a great product and for supporting Learn 2 Fish With Us!!! Thrivent volunteers thanks for all your help!!!

On Monday, January 9th. Learn 2 Fish With Us hosted a Ice Fishing Basics seminar at Scheels in Appleton, Wisconsin.  Angler Educator. Greg Karch, presented his Ice Fishing Basics seminar to the families that attended and what makes Learn 2 Fish With Us clinics special, is that it is a hands on seminar where youth and parents work with Greg to learn the skills.  Attendee’s learned about all the skills and equipment needed to go Ice Fishing. Skills reviewed were safety while ice fishing, drilling a hole, jigging presentations, tip-ups, fish identification, vertical and horizontal jigs and more.  During the seminar Greg reviewed the different ide fishing combos, augers, jigs, bait, flashers and cameras he uses for ice fishing and why.  During the seminar Greg showed some videos of him ice, fishing, and the kids really got excited when they could see the fish come up and hit the bait!!  A fun time was held by all!!

If your group looking for a fishing clinic in 2017, send an email to Greg at [email protected] and he will get in contact with you.   Fish On, gotta go!!!!

In the email include dates you were looking at, location, number of youth and adults and if fishing is near by.  Have a great day.

At the end of Learn 2 Fish With Us, Peninsula State Parks Fishing Clinic, all you heard was FISH ON!!!   Learn 2 Fish With Us, Certified Angler Educator Greg Karch and his wife Karen Karch hosted a fishing clinic at Peninsula State Park which is located in Fish Creek, Wisconsin on Sunday July 24th.  The day started out with Greg presenting his Fishing Basics seminar which educates youth and adults on all the skills needed to go fishing.  These skills include: safety while fishing, fishing combos and how to use them, casting, fishing presentations, how to tie a knot, fish identification, live and artificial bait and the AIS message of Clean Drain Dry.  Greg had brought a box and asked the youth what was in the box?  The youth said tackle, a fish?  Greg opened up the box and pulled out a thirty-three inch walleye.  All the kids gasped!!!  Greg, had caught this walleye two years ago just out from the park.  He reviewed with them how old the fish was and how many times it was most likely caught and released so it could grow to be this big.  After the seminar, Greg and Karen worked with youth on casting as it is a very important skill when fishing.  When the youth had a good cast d have a good cast, they would catch a Backyard Bass.  You should have seen all the smiles as they reeled in a Backyard Bass.

After casting it was time for families to go fishing.  Learn 2 Fish With Us brought fishing equipment and bait so the attendees could fish.  Youth and adults caught perch, rock bass, smallmouth bass and gobies.   Fifty-two of the invasive goby were caught and disposed of!!  So, not only did we catch fish we helped out the environment!!  Once fishing was completed, it was time to share with the kids that each of them was going home with a fishing related item.  The items include Shakespeare spinning and spin cast fishing combos, Plano tackle boxes, Triton Boats / Mercury / Off Shore hats, Mercury water bottles, NPAA Future Pro shirts and more.  They were excited!!!

Learn 2 Fish With Us had a Fishing Educational booth at Farm Technology Days which was held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  Farm Technology Days ran Tuesday July19th through Thursday July 21st.  Learn 2 Fish With Us provided a fishing experience to youth of all ages entering the 4H Youth Area of Farm Technology Days.  The fishing experience consisted of Lake Shakespeare which is a thirty by forty foot blue tarp which was stocked with thirty-five Backyard Bass, Fish Identification posters, knot tying, live bait and the Clean Drain Dry message.  Lake Shakespeare was a huge success as youth learned how to cast through hands on instruction and when they had a good cast, they would catch a Backyard Bass!!!  So many youth were casting for the very first time and caught their very first fish!!!  Greg and Karen instructed the youth to point their fishing combo to where they wanted to cast.  Next, look behind them making sure no one was behind them.  Then, press the button or open the bail and proceed with the rod slowly over there should to ten o’clock, from there they would come forward over their shoulder and once the rod tip reaches two o’clock, proceed to release the button or release the line.  Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were all impressed on how well the kids would cast after the instruction.  Besides educating many anglers on how to cast for the first time, Greg helped experienced anglers become more accurate while casting with a few tips!!!  ‘Casting plays such a big part of fishing, so you really need to hone in on this skill!!’, Greg said.  Besides casting, future anglers also learned more on fishing by tying knots, checking out the bait and the fish identification posters!!!  Another big hit was Learn 2 Fish With Us truck wrap which has a large walleye on it.  Many youth and families took pictures of them and the truck.

Learn 2 Fish With Us has attended Farm Technology Days for the past six years and has become one the favorite attractions in the 4H Youth Area.  Greg remembers when they barely had enough room to cast and now they provide as much room as we need along with many 4H and Farm Technology Day volunteers.  We would not be able work with this amount of kids without the volunteers!!!  Next year, Farm Technology Days will be held in Kewaunee, Wisconsin.

Is your group looking for a fishing clinic in 2017, send an email to Greg at [email protected] and he will get in contact with you.

Learn 2 Fish With Us was present at Community Fest which was held on July 4th, at Riverside Park in Neenah Wisconsin.  Certified Angler Educator Greg Karch, Karen Karch and Board Member Patti Purcell were preset to educate the youth on fishing.  Utilizing Lake Shakespeare, which was stocked full of Backyard Bass. Learn 2 Fish With Us instructed youth and adults  on how to cast and how they could become better at casting with tips.  At !:15 PM, Greg was on the Harbor Stage where he presented his Fishing Basics seminar which educates youth and families through hands on training, all the skills needed to go fishing.  All the youth visiting the Learn 2 Fish With Us booth and Fishing Basics seminar went home with a fishing related prizes thanks to all our great sponsors.

http://www.906outdoors.com/906outdoors/videos/S201.html

This past week Learn 2 Fish With Us was featured on Discovery TV. Learn 2 Fish With Us participated in the Camp Seven 25th Kids Fishing Day which was held in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Check out the segment the first ten minutes. Learn 2 Fish With Us is featured at the five minute mark of the segment.

For the past three weeks Learn 2 Fish With Us and Angler Educator Greg Karch, hosted Fishing Camp during Camp Kimber Y, which was held at the YMCA located in Kimberly Wisconsin.  Over two hundred youth were educated during the three Fish Camps.

Monday, June 13th, Fishing Camp was held for the 4th graders and up.  Fishing Camp consisted of Greg presenting his Fishing Basics seminar which educates youth on skills needed to go fishing which include; fishing safety, fishing combo’s and how to cast with each, fishing presentations, how to tie a Palomar and Clinch knot, fish identification, artificial and live bait, parts of a fish and the AIS Message of Clean Drain Dry.  After the seminar each youth practiced casting and tying knots.  The youth were excited when they learned that they would receive a NPAA Future Pro Shirt.  Little did Greg know that most youth wanted Greg to sign their shirts.

Monday, June 20th, Fishing Camp was held for the second and third graders where Greg presented his Fishing Basics.  After the seminar, youth practiced casting and many of the them were more precise.  Each youth received a NPAA Future Pro shirt and they wanted Greg to sign them!!
Monday June 27th, Fishing Camp was held for kindergarten and first graders.  Greg was nervous as this would be the youngest group he hosted to date and would consist of fifty-seven youth.  Fish Camp went well, as Greg had the help from his coworkers, Julie and Vonda from Thrivent Financial.  Fish Camp was split into three stations.  First station consisted of Julie reading a story to the youth on a fishing.  The next station consisted of the youth fishing for a fish that they would then color to resemble a fresh water fish.  The final station included instructing the youth how to properly put on and wear a life jacket, how to cast and the different live bait Greg uses which included minnows, worms, leeches and artificial bait.  Each youth participated in each of the activities!!!   Each youth received a NPAA Future Pro shirt thanks to the National Professional Anglers Association.

On Saturday, June 11th was Michigan’s Free Fishing Weekend and National Fishing Week.  Learn 2 Fish With Us attended the 25th Kids Fishing Day which was held at Camp 7 located in the Upper Peninsula just north of Big Bay De Noc.  The youth experienced hands learning of different fishing skills while doing it in the beautiful Hiawatha National Forest.

Learn 2 Fish With Us was present providing casting instruction to the youth utilizing Shakespeare spin cast and spinning fishing combos along with Backyard Bass.  The Backyard Bass were a hit and many parents asked were they could pick them up.  Other activities during Kids Fishing Day was a trout fishing pond where the kids caught trout, Aquatic Invasive Species booth where they could learn more, Knot Tying station where they learned how to tie a Clinch knot, Casting Contest where they tried to hit the target and more!!!  Lunch was served during the event for the youth and at the end of the event each youth received a fishing combo or tackle box.  Two hundred and fifty kids attended the event along with another one hundred and twenty-five parents.    

So many groups had volunteers at the event such as the Bay De Noc Great Lake Sport Fishing Group, Us Forestry, Wildlife Unlimited and more!!! This event also had many sponsors!!!