Four FATC Brothers (Steve Baker, Bob Born, Al Harper & Vernon Preston) got up bright & early on Saturday, Sep 27 and headed over to Boy Scout Camp Warren Levis in Godfrey, IL. The event was Cub Launch 2025 and provided scouts with opportunities to participate in a variety of activities, while at the same time, completing requirements needed for badge and rank advancements. Activities included First Aid Skills, Conservation, Fire Building, Compass Skills, Fishing Skills, Boating, Archery, Marksmanship, Rock Climbing, and more. Our job, of course, was to handle the fishing and fishing skills areas. Each scout had a “Fishing Passport” showing the different activities for each rank that the scouts needed to perform in order to complete their fishing adventure. This not only gave them opportunity to learn about fishing, but also put into practice what they learned!
We arrived at the camp at 8am and broke up into 2 groups. Steve and Vernon headed up to Camp Ouatoga to work the Fishing Skills area. Activities covered here included:
· Basics of Fishing: Activities include learning how to cast a spincast pole, practicing fishing with backyard bass game, learning how to handle and release fish.
· Bait and Tackle: At this station scouts will learn about fishing equipment including different rods and reels, items in a tackle box, and different types of bait.
· Fish Identification: At this station, Scouts will learn all about fish. Visual aids were used to help the scouts learn common freshwater and saltwater fish. We also talked about the characteristics of different fish and how to select the best bait for the type of fish you want to catch.
· Fishing Knots and Regulations: This station is specifically for our older scouts. We had copies of the Illinois Fishing Regulations guide published by Illinois Department of Natural Resources. We discussed why fishing regulations exist and how to look up the regulations based on where you are going fishing. We also teach the scouts how to tie the improved clinch knot, palomar knot, and surgeon’s knot.
Bob and Al stayed down at the Lake to supervise the fishing part of the program. Using spincast rods and barbless hooks was the technique of the day. As part of their fishing experience we also reviewed some areas of fishing safety with the scouts.
· Never fish alone – use The Buddy System
· Always be supervised by an adult
· Always ask permission before fishing on someone’s property
· Be aware of surroundings including: water conditions, weather
· Handle hooks and fish carefully
· Don’t litter – Leave No Trace
· Respect fish and wildlife
· Follow regulationsMany of the scouts were able to successfully bait their own hook with a juicy nightcrawler or red worm. And while the fishing was a liitle spotty many were able catch and “land” a bluegill or two. One young man actually caught a nice bass! For quite a few kids it was their first fishing experience, and their first time ever catching a fish. It was great seeing the excitement on their faces as they reeled in and showed off their catches.
At the end of the day we headed back home. It was a rewarding day being able to help out with Cub Launch 2025 and introduce so many new young people to fishing.
