Getting Kids Started Fishing!
By Ronnie Garrison
Many organizations have programs to help get kids started fishing. It is important for the sport, it is important for the future of fishing, it is important for parents but it is most important for the kids.
In my day job as an alternative school principal I saw kids that had been kicked out of regular school for discipline problems. In seven years on the job I talked with very few that got to go fishing! Some adult taking them fishing on a regular basis would make a tremendous difference, I think.
You can get good information on the net about organizations that help with this problem. Contest are popular ways to get kids into fishing and there are several. Casting Kids is a casting contest sponsored by BASS, Zebco and others and contests are held by bass clubs throughout the nation and also at BASS tournaments. The national champion is invited to the BASS Master's Classic. Kids All-American Fishing Derby "Big Fish" Contest is a nationwide contest kids can enter to win prizes and recognition.
Project F.I.S.H. is a mentor based sport fishing education program administrated through the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University. They have trained 200 adult mentors and worked with nearly 12,000 kids!
Young Ethical Anglers - YEA - has several programs to get kids involved in fishing rather than activities that are dangerous to them.
Hooked on Fishing, Not Drugs is Zebco's effort to reach kids. Although they try to sell things along with training kids, they do make a good effort on this and Casting Kids.
Kids Zone is from BASS and is commercial, also, but it does have some good things for kids.
If you have kids you want to get started fishing or if you are willing to help get kids started fishing, check out these sites and join the effort to save kids!
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