School Fishing Club Program

Core Curriculum Lessons

Fisheries Conservation Lessons

• Lesson 1: Sport Fish Restoration
• Lesson 2: Ethical Angling
• Lesson 3: Fish Handling and Release
• Lesson 4: Fishing Regulations
• Lesson 5: Monofilament Recycling

Fish Habitat Lessons

• Lesson 6: Florida’s Fisheries Habitats
• Lesson 7: Tides, Currents and Habitats

Fishing Equipment Lessons

• Lesson 8: Knot Tying
• Lesson 9: Bait and Tackle
• Lesson 10: Fishing Gear and Maintenance

Additional Lessons

• Cast Netting
• Filleting a Fish
• Hooked a Pelican?
• Fish Morphology and Dissection
• Fishing Line Visibility
• Make Your Own Lure
• Different Fishing Techniques

The FWC Conservation Project awards points for club participation in a pre-determined list of fishing and aquatic conservation centered activities seen below. The clubs will compete in a three-tier prize structure with a Grand Prize, Second Place Prize, and Third Place Prize. The club with the highest number of activity points by the due date will receive the Grand Prize, with the runner-up and third place club receiving the Second Place Prize, and Third Place Prize.

The clubs’ sponsor must send their report of completed projects and activities to FWC’s R3 Coordinator, Brandon Stys, via email (R3Fishing@myfwc.com) or fill out the Online Form by the due date to be eligible for competition prizing. The points will be approved and tallied by an evaluation team to determine a winner. All schools MUST submit their pre- and post-surveys to be eligible for the competition. Should there be a tie, a tie-breaker challenge will be issued for the two competing clubs to complete to determine their placement in the prizing tiers.

*Prizing will be awarded to each winning school, for a maximum of 20 participants.

Approved Activities

Program Fishing Tournament

• Club participates in the School Fishing Club virtual tournament; points will be awarded based on club participation. All fish caught can be submitted through the program’s selected platform. Points will be awarded based on correct fish identification and if all tournament rules are followed, see page 44: 150 points MAX per club, 5 points per unique fish species caught from the approved list.
  
  

Kids’ Fishing Clinic

• Organize and host a Kids’ Fishing Clinic for other students, such as an elementary school, potential new club participants, or other youth in your community. FWC can provide protocol and guidance upon request. A brief outline/schedule, photos, and sign in sheet(s) are required. 200 points per event
  
  

Aquatic Trash Clean-Up

• Club organizes or participates in a local waterway or beach clean-up (this could include events such as CCA Trash Tour Stops, International Coastal Cleanup events, local clean-up events, or your school fishing club outing): 5 points per participant, sign-in sheet(s) required.

Aquatic Conservation

• Club creates and completes their own project related to preserving the health and quality of aquatic habitats: 50 points.

Your club is encouraged to seek sponsors. A great place to start is local bait and tackle shops and other local businesses, such as restaurants and sporting goods stores. Request to speak with a manager or business owner to discuss financial or product-based sponsorship opportunities. Sponsors are a great resource in helping your club expand, as they can help provide various resources such as funding, bait for fishing trips, additional equipment, or venues to host events.

• Student Angler Federation (SAF) provides assistance in helping coordinate potential partnerships. Learn more at highschoolfishing.org.
• Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) can assist your club in providing insurance for club participants. FLW can also help your club set-up individual events and tournaments. Learn more at flwfishing.com or (270) 252-1000.
• iAngler Tournament can assist you by logging all your club activities and setting up unique club touraments to help your club’s progression throughout the program. Learn more at ianglertournament.com.

Seek out local guides, the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) chapter members, the Future Fisherman Foundation, and West Marine staff for advice on fishing in your location.  Guides and experienced anglers are an invaluable source of information! Ask them where to fish (and why that location is a hot spot), and for advice on effective bait and tackle, as well as types of successful fishing techniques for your area. If you are searching for volunteers, reach out to local fishing clubs and youth organizations to request assistance.

• Coastal Conservation Association of Florida: CCAFlorida.org; info@ccaflorida.org; (407) 854-7002
• West Marine: Once contacted, West Marine will provide you with a direct contact to a School Fishing Club program representative from a store near you. West Marine staff presence at your events can also be requested through your local program representative.westmarine.com; wmCustomerService@westmarine.com; (800) 262-8464

No, only brick-and-mortar schools may apply for this grant.

No, virtual or home schools are not eligible for the grant or program prizing; however, FWC can still send you hard copies of the curriculum and educational materials if you complete the program application before the deadline. FWC can still send you electronic copies of the curriculum and educational materials if you contact us at any other time. 

The grant is for $500 per school fishing club/team to purchase fishing supplies.

Absolutely, each school fishing club/team may apply for the Florida's R3 Fishing Grant and participate in the program in consecutive years.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission does not provide insurance to participating schools. Clubs/teams should follow their school’s policies and procedures. Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) can provide insurance through their membership program. Visit Major League Fishing and click on “Members” to learn more.