SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) – When Longfellow Elementary School teacher Patty Zerger learned of a student who wanted to grow up to be a professional fisherman, but had never fished before, Zerger decided she needed to start a fishing club.
So she recruited her husband, Dave Zerger, an avid fisherman himself, and the two of them formed the Reel ’em In fishing club, which is open to students in kindergarten through fifth grade at Longfellow School.
The club is in its sixth year of existence.
“We live a block away from Lake Michigan,” Patty Zerger said. “This neighborhood sits right near the area that has such a rich history in fishing. We just felt that it was something that kids should know how to do.
“A lot of kids these days go home to very different situations than when we grew up,” she said. “Between poor choices and also not getting outdoors as much, we thought it would be beneficial to have this club. We think it’s important that kids have positive, healthy ways to spend time with their family that can be very inexpensive, as well.”
The club meets throughout the school year, focusing on different types of fishing disciplines such as ice fishing, traditional spin casting and fly-fishing. The group, which had about 35 students this year, also receives visits from various conservationist representatives and participates in a variety of educational activities and trips, Patty Zerger said.
Parents are encouraged to attend the meetings to help promote quality time with their children, she said.
Longfellow parent Shane Renzelman said he enjoys attending club meetings and going on the fishing trips with his three sons for that reason.
“I grew up fishing. It was just a pastime that I always liked to do with my dad,” Renzelman said. “My parents live in the south (now), so I don’t always get to go fishing with them. So I take advantage of the opportunity with my kids.”
The Random Lake School District offers a summer course called “Let’s Go Fishing.” Each year since it began in 2006, the course, which is open to students in grades four through eight, has been one of the most popular choices among the summer school options, said instructor Aaron Casper.
During the five-week summer fishing course at Random Lake, Casper said students go on about three fishing trips a week, and with those trips come a number of opportunities for life lessons.
“When we’re out on the water, I think one of the biggest benefits that kids learn is just being able to problem-solve,” Casper said. “When they cross lines with someone, they have to problem-solve and develop conflict-resolution skills on ‘How do we get untangled?’ And what’s really neat about it is you see them have to work together.”
Students at Sheboygan Falls High School can join a fishing club led by adviser Ken Liebenstein.
The Falls group has gone on a fishing trip to Canada annually for more than 20 years.
All of the programs teach the basics of fishing, such as how to properly cast or how to bait a hook. Some even teach students how to cook their catch. Many include academic components by adding lessons in conservationism, biology, mathematics and writing.
