STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT THE “OTHER SIDE” OF SPORTFISHING

Going out fishing is great, but did you ever wonder how science is involved with sportfishing? The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) current educational program with LMR tackle, based out of Fort Lauderdale, actually allows young people to understand the “Science Behind Sportfishing,” while also participating in it. With assistance from the Fish Florida Grant, young people are discovering how school subjects like science and math are applied in the creation of some of the most popular fishing products. It also allows the kids to see that the recreational fishing community is not only limited to people fishing on the water but also see those businesses who are dependent on a healthy fishery and healthy recreational community like LMR Tackle.

An inside look at LMR Tackle in Fort Lauderdale

Over the past month, TBF brought two groups of students from South Broward High School to LMR tackle to learn and discover how many companies are involved in recreational fishing. Capt. Tony DiGiulian and LMR Tackle owner, Andy Novak, gave a the kids a tour of the tackle shop and a huge list of vendors who sell their products at LMR. TBF’s Peter Chaibongsai and Parker Crawford talked about the “Science behind Sportfishing” by illustrating how much science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are involved in the production of some of items in the store like a rod.

LMR Staff, Shawn Fairbanks, shows Jason how to put on one of the guides. Photo Credit – Parker Crawford.

Following the tour and the discussion, and to drive home the concept of STEM, the students began to build their very own rod. For two days, starting at 9am, the kids build their own light tackle rod with help from the LMR staff until the afternoon. We know we had a couple of the kids already “hooked” when they came to class on the second day from fishing and talked about what type of fish they would catch on their own personal rod they built. We can’t wait to see and hear what they actually catch on their rods in the upcoming weeks. We’ll be sure to post those pictures and stories when we get them.

Seeing a young person’s face when they catch a fish is fantastic, but when that young person can build their own rod and then use it later to catch their very own first…that is priceless. Thanks to the assistance of LMR tackle and Fish Florida Grant, TBF will be holding more of these programs during the summer and hope to get more kids out fishing…