ROGERS -- Emma Theoldore, an eighth-grader at Elmwood Middle School, said she wants to fish professionally.
She said fishing is peaceful, "and you never know what's in the water."
At A Glance (w/logo)
Bassmaster Casting Kids
A Casting Kids event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon today at Walmart, 4208 Pleasant Crossing Blvd., Rogers. Bassmaster champions Randy Howell and Chris Lane and pros Fletcher Shryock and Charlie Hartley will be at the store with Jerry McKinnis, Bass co-owner and former host of ESPN’s “The Fishin’ Hole.” The pros will be teaching kids to cast and showcasing their boats in the event sponsored by Bass Anglers Sportsman Society and Walmart.
Source: Staff Report
Emma was one of the students attending fishing day at Lake Atalanta on Friday. They had the opportunity to visit with pro-anglers from Bassmaster.
"Our sport is growing really, really fast," said Randy Howell, this year's Bassmaster Classic winner.
Arkansas is a big fishing state, Howell told students, and he explained how he came from behind in this year's win. He said he caught nearly 100 bass in the last day of the tournament to keep five for the win.
"That was probably one of the best fishing days of my life," Howell said.
Whatever students can learn about fish and how to cast will help them, said Jerry McKinnis, longtime host of "The Fishin' Hole," ESPN producer and Bass Anglers Sportsman Society co-owner.
Fish have a little brain, but terrific instincts, McKinnis said.
Most fish will hang close to the bank in grass and near fallen limbs.
"That's where there's places for them to hide," McKinnis said. "They like to ambush their food."
He advised the group of eighth-graders to sneak up on the fish a little bit.
"You gotta be patient," Howell said.
If a child's immediate family or friends don't fish, then it's less likely they'll have a chance to enjoy the sport, McKinnis said.
The number of high school and college fishing teams is growing, he said, but parents who don't fish can feel overwhelmed with choices when they walk in a store.
People don't know what to buy or how to start fishing, McKinnis said, and that is where working with youth can help.
"We're trying to get them hooked on this sport," McKinnis said. Bass Anglers Sportsman Society sponsors Casting Kids, a program designed to encourage children to fish. Casting Kids makes a stop at Walmart, 4208 Pleasant Crossing Blvd., today.
"Y'all are the future of our sport. You're the ones that we need to be teaching how to fish," Howell said.
The students on Friday's trip were part of a pre-Advanced Placement science class. In class, the students learn about water quality and what lives in the water, and they research global warming and pollutants, said Angie Neighbors, science teacher at Elmwood.
Students have organized sports, but not every student plays sports or gets to spend time outside, said Larry DeDear, physical education teacher at Elmwood.
"You don't have to be real athletic with this," DeDear said.
Students who fish threaded hooks, and pointed out favorite spots for classmates.
Charles Whitten, an eighth-grader, said he has a couple of favorite spots to fish on Lake Atalanta.
"It's a fun skill to learn. Everyone can have fun fishing," he said.
Seth Barber, also a student, said the sport will give him a leg up in case of a zombie apocalypse, and it's a family tradition.
Teachers said they planned to talk with students about the environment and the fish they caught when they get back to the classroom.
NW News on 05/10/2014