Special consideration will be given to programs that offer multiple on-the-water learning opportunties, encourage long-term involvement of participants, foster multi-generational participation, promote conservation education, and support existing RBFF partnerships and are inclusive in their programming.

“We want to introduce as many children and their families to boating and fishing as possible,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson.  “We focus on quality aquatic education programs delivered at places such as schools, parks and clubs where children and their families already learn, play and grow.  We urge both new and existing programs to apply.”  To learn more about RBFF’s National Youth Fishing and Boating initiative, visit RBFF.org.

December 27, 2010 is the deadline to apply for the grant, and the grant will be awarded in April, 2011  

Click here to find important information on the RBFF website including the Grant Guidelines and Application, a copy of the Score Sheet that will be used in evaluating the grant applications, an FAQ page, and the online application.   Also posted on the RBFF website are the 2008 – 2010 Grant Recipients.  It is important to note that, per the grant guidelines, hard copies of each grant application must also be submitted and postmarked on or before December 27, 2010.  Act now do you don’t miss out on this opportunity. 

In addition to the grant information, you will also find valuable resources and education tools on the RBFF website that are available at no charge and specifically designed to promote boating, angling and aquatic research.

Ironwood Also sponsored the Duracats Championship Tournament held October 23rd and 24th in Mount Vernon, Indiana.  the competition brought out some of the greatest talent in catfish angling and despite adverse conditions, fish weighed in at just under 800 lbs.  The catch was primarily blue catfish.   Large fish honors went to a phenomenal Blue Cat weighing in at 92.35  lbs caught by the team of Demitrius Kinnis, Larry Stricker and Bill Stricker.

The Duracats tournament is strictly catch and release with the disqualification of any fish that isn’t breathing at the time of weigh in.  this helps assure that these trophy specimens are back in the wild to be caught again, and more importantly pass on their superior genetics.

Duracats Championship 2010 Large Fish - 92.35 Lb. Blue Catfish caught by team of Demitrius Kinnis, Larry Stricker and Bill Stricker

This year, 70 agencies and organizations throughout the country received up to $5,000 for programs that will each serve a minimum of 2,000 youths by April 30, 2011.

NRPA’s Take Me Fishing initiative supports local park and recreation agencies and youth service organizations that work to connect young people with nature and engage them in recreational boating and fishing.

“With America’s youngsters spending hours a day on electronic media, it’s become more and more challenging to introduce them to the joys of the outdoors,” RBBF president and CEO Frank Peterson said in a statement. “We’re pleased to support NRPA as they work to connect youth with the outdoors and help create future boaters and anglers who will cherish and protect our outdoor spaces.”

View the 2009-2010 grantees

NRPA Fishing Information

RBFF Fishing Section

Check out the Replica Toy Fish Company.  It seems like these little guys could be an interesting resource for teaching fish identification in the classroom.  For the tactile learners, being able to hold and manipulate a model may help with the learning process.  I could see gluing a magnet to the fish and allowing kids to “catch” one from behind a screen, then identify it for points or prizes.  They could even be an interesting takeaway for participants.  They are reasonably priced and come in a number of package options.

They are also pulling together a Kids Page with a list of activities and other on-line resources related to fishing and identifying fish.

Images of the models from the Replica Toy Fish Company

Kerry Campbell of the Future Fisherman Foundations and Howard Kern of the Boy Scouts of America National Fishing Council Sign Memorandum of Mutual Support at ICAST 2010

The Future Fisherman Foundation (F3)  announced today that they have signed a Memorandum of Mutual Support with the Boy Scouts of America, designed to expand the relationship supporting each organization’s programs to promote conservation and education of America’s youth.

F3 will participate in Scouting through assistance in developing and promoting the Boy Scouts Certified Angler Instruction program, their Fishing and Fly Fishing Merit Badges, related conservation Merit Badges and other education programs for youth and adults.  Boy Scout leaders will be eligible to participate in F3’s new Tackle for Educators Program.

Yup - There are fish down there!

Between busy schedules and baseball season, we haven’t had a lot of time to go out fishing this summer.  The other day the stars aligned and my nephew Henry and I connected up for an evening on the river.  We headed 5 minutes down the road to the (not so) mighty Tualatin, rigged up the canoe, grabbed our fishing rods and life jackets and hit the water. We headed up stream a short distance to a rocky shoal and tail pool that has been known to produce Smallmouth Bass.  We fished the area, then back along the many docks and snags that line the river.  We saw beaver, wood ducks, herons and kingfishers.  We chatted with other paddlers and anglers.  We discussed how the river flowed and why it looked the way it did and watched the fish we weren’t catching with the fish finder.  The only thing missing was actually catching any fish.  

Henry developed his basic casting skills and reel handling playing with Backyard Bass in his backyard over the past year or so.  It served him well as he informed me that bobber fishing wasn’t too exciting, but casting spinners was a LOT of fun.  He took a little while to adapt to casting while sitting in a canoe seat, and watching his back cast so he didn’t hook a 180 lb uncle.  It didn’t take much time before he was putting the spinner pretty much where he wanted it.

As we pulled in and loaded the canoe in the last glimmers of the fading day, we both agreed that it was a pretty good fishing trip despite the lack of fish.  We’re headed out tomorrow to the St. Louis Ponds where, if we hold our mouths right and the fish gods smile, we’ll actually practice the catching part of fishing…. Wish us luck!

Debbie says, “Fishing is a great recreational and lifetime sport that anyone can do.  Many core values and social interaction skills are developed.”

Contact Teresa or Keith at the FFF for more information – http://www.futurefisherman.org/contact/index.html

Dear Teachers, Leaders and State Partners,

We hope the coming of spring has brought with it many fishing adventures for you and your students! We realize buying tackle for your education programs can be expensive. And we know it’s often difficult deciding exactly what to buy when there’s so much from which to choose.

The Future Fisherman Foundation (F3) wants to help you make the best selection of tackle for your program at the best price. That’s why we’ve started Tackle for Educators, a new program designed by F3 and its partners in response to requests from our teachers to assist in selection and purchase of “must have” items. After reviewing equipment orders placed in the past, discussing equipment needs with our state partners and analyzing program reports submitted as part of the Physh Ed and HOFNOD programs, our team determined the most requested and useful equipment items.

We then shared our list with our industry partners and asked if they would help us with a program to assist educators who are delivering long-term angling-education programs. Their response was enthusiastic. Each partner offered to provide special pricing and/or free shipping to help offset the price of ordering through this new program.

Criteria for Participation
To qualify for F3’s Tackle for Educators Program, you must be delivering youth education programs that provide several opportunities for participants to fish over a period of time as opposed to a half-day or one-day special event such as a fishing derby. Although we value fishing derbies as introductions to fishing, these do not qualify for our program. Samples of eligible programs include:

• School programs that include classroom lessons and field trips over the course of the year, semester or unit of study
• After-school programs that meet on a regular basis
• Community fishing clubs that host multiple trips over the course of the year or season
• Camps that meet over several days or weeks

Procedures
If you meet these criteria and want to learn more, visit our website (www.futurefisherman.org) and click on the Tackle For Educators button. This will take you to a page outlining all the Terms and Conditions for participating…

Below is a picture shared with us by Theresa Stabo of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank fishing for backyard bass at an event on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank examines Backyard Bass on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day

A big Thank You to all of you involved in this undertaking!

Your friends at BackyardBass.con
Loren, Trino, Denise & Jim

“The Take Me Fishing campaign and Discovery Education announce the launch of Explore the Blue, an online initiative encouraging youth participation in on-the-water activities and aquatic conservation efforts.

Explore the Blue is a new resource empowering teachers and parents to engage students in a dialogue about the importance of outdoor recreational activities, such as boating and fishing, and the value of clean and healthy natural resources. The rich, interactive materials help students explore the world of outdoor recreation through exciting, hands-on activities. Through this initiative, students experience the magic of being on the water with family and friends, while learning about the importance of conservation efforts at the same time”

A quick visit to the site this morning finds a coordinated set of information and activities broken out for Educators, Parents and Kids. We’ll be back to explore it further as time permits.