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Chaska Area Fishing With Friends: Volunteers Needed

Start
06/15/2019
End
08/10/2019
Location
Southwest Metro

Registration is closed

Dear Wam Members,

If you are from the southwest metro area, please consider partnering with us for one or more of these events. We provide loaner equipment, bait and instruction to everyone who shows up. All events are approximately 4 hours long with setup at 9AM and teardown between 1 & 2PM. If a couple of your members would be able to show up, with any placards, posters pamphlets etc. at an event, we would publicize that both ahead of time and after the fact in local media.

We realize that WAM's tournament is the first Saturday of June every year, some cannot participate in the Family Fishing Academy directly.
If there are members not going to the tournament, we would welcome them at our event!
We will once again have a stack of your brochures at one of the tables for adults.
We are happy to include any photos, placards etc. you wish to loan us as well.\
In the afternoon is free family fishing at the Fireman’s Pond next to the Event Center.
Part of the DNR FIN program, we partner with the DNR to provide all equipment, bait and instruction for anyone to try fishing in the pond,
The pond is teeming with sunfish and also has some largemouth bass and even a northern or two. Nobody ever gets skunked.
We try to get adults as well as youngsters to participate.
To help encourage adults to join in, fishing licenses are NOT required during the event.

2019 FAMILY FISHING DAYS

(shore fishing at three locations in Carver County)

June 15th at Lake Minnewashta Regional Park - Chanhassen
June 29th at Lake Ann Park – Chanhassen
August 10th at Riverpointe Pond - Watertown

REVIEW OF 2018 Chaska Area Fishing With Friends “Take A Kid Fishing” clinic:

It was the largest to date with 61 youngsters ages 6 to 12 participating and receiving their free rod, reel and swag bag.
As always, every young participant also was able to sign up for a fishing outing on our pontoon on Lake Minnetonka – we gave 8 dedicated trips for them (we can handle a maximum of 10 young quests per trip).
It was the second time the Carver County Library joined with our volunteers to offer an activities and story corner for younger children.
They were engaged and entertained for the whole morning.
For the first time we also had exhibits and discussions for adults concurrent with the youngster’s program. We were amazed at the response – our volunteers were busy the whole morning leading discussions, answering questions and giving demonstrations to parents who had brought their children to the clinic.
Of course there is always milk, juice, coffee and treats for all too.

See the following pictures of the days events!

Another new innovation for 2018 was the boat rental discount coupon.

The operator of the marina we use was pleased to allow us to give one of these coupons to each participant.

WAM brochures were prominently displayed at one of the tables for parents

Adults conversing and learning at Adult Skills table

The MN DNR has participated for several years. They gave a general welcome,

followed by lively discussion of fishing adventures.

Always a fun time, the presentation on baits and lures by the owner of local outdoor sports store draws rapt attention.

He also sets up a table with examples of fishing equipment, lures and especially live bait. There always are a number of kids who want to handle the bait, and he tells us that every yeara number of leeches “disappear” during the clinic.

Doubt those leeches are appreciated when they show up in a pants pocket or the laundry.

A feature of every clinic are what we call “skill tables.”

The participants are split into smaller groups who then circulate. Each group spends about 15 minutes at each table, watching, touching and learning. Here is photo at the fish identification table and another learning knot tying by doing.