The Secret to Getting Kids Excited About Fishing
For anyone interested… this is how you get kids excited about fishing. Last month I received a message in my inbox from Wendy Dallmann, a physical education teacher from Prairie Farm High School in Wisconsin. I do a bit of drawing and Wendy found some of my work on another web site that I set up for that purpose. The drawing is your standard “Walleye Going After Jig” image and she wanted to know if she could use it for a sweatshirt design for an ice fishing competition.
I was honored to oblige and shortly thereafter she sent the following design:
I was very impressed. But even more impressive is the fact that this educator has taken time… and I would guess most of it is her own time… to work with a group of young adults preparing for a state high school ice fishing championship. They did very well, and I’m pleased to report that the big fish in the group was a fine 5.5 lb. walleye.
So I guess my title may have been a bit misleading. The “Secret” really isn’t a secret at all. Getting kids excited about fishing is a pretty simple formula… mix one adult who cares with several kids who want to fish. The result is a great experience outdoors. I don’t want to spoil the plot, so please read on for the full story in Wendy’s own words:
Prairie Farm High School Ice Teams Compete at State Tournament
Prairie Farm High School has started a new competitive activity with their students this winter – ice fishing! Wendy Dallmann, physical education teacher, assembled the teams in late December 2010 in anticipation of competing in the state tournament held on Lake Winnebago on February 26, 2011. Although ice fishing has been a part of the physical education curriculum for the past four
years, this is the first year that teams were going to compete against other high schools across the state.Fifteen students showed interest in being on the team so plans began to take shape to make this trip happen. Only ten students were allowed on a team so two teams were created. Each student sold raffle tickets for the Battle on Bago tournament as a fundraiser to pay for the trip. Battle on Bago is a large
annual fishing tournament held on the same day as the high school tournament. Students also gathered equipment and practiced their ice fishing techniques to get ready for the tournament.As the date of the tournament got closer, the ice on Lake Winnebago started to deteriorate. The annual sturgeon spearing event was held a few weeks prior which resulted in large holes being cut into the ice. The weather also warmed up which made these holes bigger and the ice roads plowed on the lake weaker from all the water on top of the ice. The Oshkosh area also received the heavy snow storm that we experienced here; this led to not being able to see the large holes and put added weight on the ice. Vehicles starting plunging into the lake as a result and the ice was considered very unsafe. Organizers of both tournaments decided to open up the tournaments to any inland lake in the state of Wisconsin
so that participants could fish on safer ice.Dallmann and the rest of the ice team coaches had some very hard decisions to make over the next week. The idea of not competing wasn’t an option so they searched for fishable ice that would get them closer to Oshkosh. The teams needed to be in Oshkosh for a 3:00 p.m. weigh in time in order to be eligible to register fish into the tournament. Many lakes were studied and explored but the decision was finally made to fish on local lakes that would be safe and hopefully produce fish.
The decision turned out to be a good one. Not only did everyone stay safe both teams caught their limit of ten fish to register for the tournament. Teams were able to fish from 6:00-10:00 a.m. and then the coaches drove the students to Oshkosh to weigh in their catch by the 3:00 p.m. deadline.
The Prairie Farm High School Ice Team #1 earned second place runner up at the Wisconsin State High School ice fishing tournament. That finish placed them on the award stage to meet the Green Bay Packer’s Clay Matthews. Matthews handed the team their runner up trophy and second place medals. Prairie Farm Ice Team #1 weighed in ten fish with a total weight of 11.33 lbs. The fish consisted of three walleyes and seven panfish. The biggest walleye that was caught was 24 inches and weighed in at 5.5 lbs. – this fish was caught by sophomore, Tristan Beyer. Team #1 was edged out of 1st place by Berlin High School that registered a mix of white bass, walleye, and pan fish for a total weight
of 11.76 lbs.Ice Team #2 finished the tournament in 6th place with a total weight of 3.73 lbs. Their fish consisted of all pan fish.
Overall, the ice teams had a great experience and learned many valuable skills that will last a lifetime. When Dallmann was asked by tournament organizers if they were going to be in the tournament next year, she enthusiastically said “Yes absolutely!” If you would like more information about the high school
tournament, contact Wendy Dallmann at Prairie Farm High School. For more information about Battle on Bago visit their website – www.battleonbago.org – see you next year on the ice!
Way to go Wendy and kids. Wendy is one of those teachers that goes the extra mile to make a lifelong impact on kids. What a great concept to offer a sport the kids can do for a life time and not just when they are in High School. I am sure many unpaid hours were spent getting these kids excited about the sport, but also preparing them to be competitive and learning what it takes to be successful. Congrats to all of you.
Wendy deserves a big thank you for all her hard work. She has done an outstanding job with the kids, and WAY TO GO PF Ice Teams!!!
getting kids excited in hunting and fishing is the only way to keep the tradition alive. We all need to do a better job not only teaching kids the fundamentals of hunting and fishing but also how to do them responsibly.