Today, legislation was introduced in Congress to provide opportunities for youth to enjoy the outdoors. The Youth Coastal Fishing Program Act of 2022 was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) and Donald McEachin (D-Va.), along with 19 bipartisan cosponsors. The Senate version was introduced by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). The bill would create a grant program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for projects that take children fishing with…
Read MoreIn a stunning victory that required a tie-breaker procedure to decide the victor, 15-year-old Jackson Roumbanis from Russellville, Arkansas, became the youngest competitor to win a Hobie Bass Open Series (BOS) Anchored by Power-Pole® event. Competing on Russellville, AR’s famed bass haven, Lake Dardanelle, Roumbanis finished in a first-place tie with Francis Tran, 30, of Starkville, Mississippi, each recording 165 inches of largemouth bass in the two-day, catch, photograph and release (CPR) tournament. The tie was broken by the largest fish…
Read MoreOn August 17, Nancy Koep, a long-time member of the National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA), hosted a fishing seminar to for young anglers as part of the Kids Safety Day put on by the Starbuck, Minnesota Police Department. The event was held at the Minnewaska Area High School and had 4 groups of kids of that of youngsters who Nancy worked with for 45 minutes at a time. Each group of kids got to learn a variety of information about…
Read MoreIf research reveals that today’s youth represent the biggest ROI for recruiting new anglers, then what’s the best way to reach those kids who spend most of their time watching media or learning in school? PBS and the Future Angler Foundation have cracked that code by joining forces with their Getting Families Fishing television shows and classroom curriculum series. Harnessing an unprecedented distribution network of 165 channels with the Emmy-winning impact of the Into the Outdoors Education Network, the program…
Read MoreFor kids, the choice to jump headlong into fishing forever or to cast it aside like an old toy often distills down to a singular, special day on the water. Fishing chooses you, not the other way around. If it’s meant to be, something just clicks in the heart and mind of a youngster: That magical, unforgettable tug on the line and the grip-and-grin of a first fish. You’re captivated by the life in its eyes, fins and gills as…
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