FWC announces winner of the School Fishing Club Conservation Project Competition

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) School Fishing Club Program congratulates the Chambers High School fishing team as the Grand Prize winners of FWC’s School Fishing Conservation Project Competition. The students completed six conservation projects, including cleaning up and building monofilament recycling bins for their local waterbodies.

All student anglers participating in the FWC’s 2022-23 School Fishing Club Program were required to complete at least one conservation project to qualify for funding associated with the program. Prizes from our partners were offered for the conservation project winners as incentives for student anglers to complete multiple conservation initiatives throughout the year. FWC’s Conservation Project Competition awarded points per club participation in a variety of conservation-minded activities aimed at reducing the impacts of plastic pollution.

“Congratulations to these young anglers for their dedication to conservation,” said Tom Graef, FWC’s Director for the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management. “They are making a difference by leading the way for the next generation of anglers with these creative conservation projects.”

Chambers High School won the Grand Prize, a private in-person custom rod building class with Mud Hole Custom Tackle. Punta Gorda Middle School won the Second Place Prize, and A. Crawford Mosley High School won the Third Place Prize. Additional prizing for second and third place was provided by Toadfish and Pure Fishing.

“Supporting youth education is so important to our mission at Mud Hole Custom Tackle,” said Anthony Youmans, Mud Hole’s Education Program Director. “We’re honored to contribute the Grand Prize in this year’s competition and are always supportive of FWC’s efforts to lead conservation projects here in Florida, our home state.”

Mud Hole Custom Tackle, based in Oviedo, is the world’s largest supplier of rod building and tackle crafting goods and instruction. From rod building and repairing, to fly tying and lure building, Mud Hole is the leading e-retailer and mail order supplier to hobbyists, small manufacturers, and large OEMs, worldwide. Offering a superior shopping experience at mudhole.com, rapid fulfillment, stellar customer service, and world class online content and instruction, Mud Hole Custom Tackle is the trusted source for the rod building and tackle crafting community.

FWC’s School Fishing Club Program welcomed 38 new and 14 returning student angling clubs in Florida to the program in 2022, supported by the Division of Marine Fisheries Management, the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management, and the Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network. The clubs committed to complete the provided FWC curriculum and at least one conservation project. Club mentors provided support and hands-on training in knot tying and fishing gear assembly, as well as assistance with the clubs’ local events to increase student anglers’ confidence in the sport of fishing.

Information about the 2023-24 School Fishing Club Program will be announced in the summer of 2023. For more information about the School Fishing Club Program, you can visit MyFWC.com/SFC.