Arkansas Sportsman

Programs lures kids to bass tournament fishing

The emergence of organized youth programs has ignited a new passion for fishing among high school students in Arkansas.

Youth fishing programs affiliated with BASS and FLW are fairly new, but they are growing at rates comparable to those of the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program and the Archery in Schools Program. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission sanctions the shooting and archery programs, so they are backed the agency's funding and organizational structure.

The state's youth fishing programs are citizen volunteer initiatives that have captivated youngsters who are eager to channel their energy through a competitive outlet. Like the shooting and archery programs, the youth fishing programs are coed and open to all.

While adult anglers from The Bass Federation and Federation Nation are increasingly prominent in the major bass fishing circuits, the youth programs are not farm systems for the FLW and BASS tours. Chuck Phillips of Fouke is the youth fishing director for The Bass Federation, the amateur arm of Fishing League Worldwide (FLW). He said the objective is to give participants a gift they can enjoy for a lifetime.

"I have no desire in teaching a kid how to compete," Phillips said. "I want to teach him to fish."

The TBF program has two prongs, the youth fishing program and the high school program. The youth program is open to youngsters ages 11-15, and it only takes two members to start a club. Its first team trail was established this year and will begin Sept. 26 at Lake Millwood.

The high school program was formerly open to students in grades 9-12, but Phillips said seventh- and eighth-graders may compete if they partner with a high school junior or senior.

At least six members are required to start a high school club, but some clubs encompass multiple schools. River Valley Youth Fishing, for example, includes about 100 members from eight schools, and the Crawford County club has about 90 members from different schools.

The state TBF governs the youth program. The national TBF governs the high school program. The high schoolers compete in state and world championships. The world championship is held in tandem with the Forrest Wood Cup.

This year's Junior World Championship was held Aug. 21-22 on Lake Hamilton. Tyler White of Oak Hill, W.V., won that event and a $2,500 scholarship. He impressed us mightily with his poise, composure and maturity.

"High school is where the learning comes in," Phillips said. "That's where we see the anglers rise up."

State game and fish agencies, and the outdoors industry in general, have long worried about declining participation in hunting and fishing. Youngsters respond when they are nurtured in those activities despite the myriad other demands on their time and attention. For example, the Benton High School fishing club had 35 members last year. This year it has 90.

"We've added six new clubs in the last five weeks just from people hearing about youth and high school fishing," Phillips said. "We have 1,700 youth anglers in this state as of Sept. 1."

Like the shooting and archery programs, fishing attracts children who might not be competitive in traditional school sports. Fishing is physically rigorous, Phillips said, but it's also a mental challenge that dovetails with the unique skills that children develop from playing video games.

"Fishing, and the different techniques you use fishing, is a lot like [playing] video games," Phillips said. "Today's video games are so advanced and so precise, and fishing is like a practical application of that. In bass fishing you've got to hit your mark on first cast or you don't catch fish. Today's kids have embraced that because it takes a lot of eye-hand coordination to fish successfully."

Another benefit is that youth fishing has connected sons and fathers with a mutual interest.

"When Mark Davis was young, his daddy took him on the water all the time," Phillips said. "Me and my dad fished all the time. We were raised up on the water and the woods. Times changed. There was a severe decline in youth hunting and fishing, but now it's increasing because dads are getting kids on water and in the woods."

Children in youth fishing programs learn sportsmanship, etiquette, ethics and conservation. They also learn how to fish, and to fish better.

"There are some 11- to 15-year-olds that I don't want to fish against," Phillips said. "They're that good."

More information about TBF youth fishing is available online at aryouthfishing.com.

Sports on 09/20/2015

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