Project F.I.S.H. training opportunities connect youth to fishing
Print
EmailHands-on activities, games and practice develop fishing skills while encouraging conservation.
Are you interested in teaching young people how to fish and be Great Lakes stewards? Check out this upcoming training in Iosco County.
On March 16-17, 2019, from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Michigan State University's Project F.I.S.H. (Friends Involved in Sportfishing Heritage) will offer a training workshop designed to certify volunteers to train young anglers.
The two-day training shows participants’ hands-on ways to get youth excited about fishing. The group will explore the aquatic food web, practice making tackle and casting skills, play games and discuss fishing management and ethics. Participants also will learn to filet fish and discuss food safety issues through the Eat Safe Fish in Michigan program.
The company USG plans to host fishing events for youth in collaboration with MSU Extension in 2019, and this training is an opportunity to recruit volunteer instructors and bolster regional capacity to engage youth anglers.
Training and tackle
To support these efforts following the training, each participant receives:
- a spincast rod and reel
- backyard bass game
- tackle box
- tackle crafting supplies
- bluegill fish print mold
- a natural resources stewardship project guide
- the Project F.I.S.H. curriculum with instructions for more than 100 fishing education activities.
- access to the Bait Shop, an online store that offers educational fishing tools at a discounted rate.
Register online, deadline Feb. 22
With contributions from USG to offset costs, this two-day session is reduced to $50 per person. Interested participants can register for the training by visiting http://bit.ly/ProjectFISHTraining. The deadline to register is Feb. 22, 2019.
This opportunity is supported by USG, MSU Extension, Iosco County 4-H, Michigan Sea Grant, Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative network as well as the Bosch Community Fund and the NOAA B-WET supported “Our Fisheries, Our Future” project.
Project F.I.S.H. was launched in 1996 with support from MSU Extension, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, and many volunteers. The program has trained more than 2,000 volunteers and through them impacted 200,000-plus youth. Not only do youth learn about sportsfishing, but they also connect to their local waterways and learn how important clean water and a healthy fishery is for our state.
To learn more about additional Project F.I.S.H opportunities, visit the events page or contact Mark Stephens, Project F.I.S.H. director, at steph143@msu.edu or (517) 432-2700. Project F.I.S.H. is currently supported by financial donations. If you would like to assist the program financially, please donate online at www.projectfish.org.
Michigan Sea Grant helps to foster economic growth and protect Michigan’s coastal, Great Lakes resources through education, research and outreach. A collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University and its MSU Extension, Michigan Sea Grant is part of the NOAA-National Sea Grant network of 33 university-based programs.
