This summer I have the opportunity to work with seasonal ranger Jennifer to create junior angler pop-up fishing events. These pop-up events aim to get families around the thicket to come out, so we can teach them what fish can they find in their waterways and how to fish. So far, we have held two pop-up events and the engagement with the families have been amazing.

Fishing Pop-up Event Setup

We teach the younger children how to fish using our Backyard Bass game. This game is designed to get them comfortable with casting using a spin rod and reel combo. But to avoid any injuries we attach a plastic minnow instead of a hook. Once they get a hang of it, we have them cast over an assortment of colorful “fish”. The goal of this is to get plastic minnow caught between the groove of the fish. When they hook the fish, we have them reel it in and on the bottom of the fish, we have a picture of a fish commonly found in Texas waters and the length of the fish. This helps the children learn how to identify the fish and learn the length limits of the species they may catch. After this, we then give them a rod with bait on the hook and let them cast. And when they catch their first fish, we give them a fish award and a Junior Angler badge. And if they don’t catch a fish, we still give them a Junior Angler badge.