When your county borders the largest lake in Florida, you have plenty of opportunities to...
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OKEECHOBEE — When your county borders the largest lake in Florida, you have plenty of opportunities to go fishing. Young individuals from Okeechobee participated in the third annual “Fishing and Conservation Camp” this summer. However, this fishing camp was not just a fishing experience. Youth learned all about conservation regulations, water safety, and various types of baits, enriching their knowledge beyond fishing itself. This week-long, day camp was made up of 15 youth campers, ages ranging from 8–13 years old, with two teen counselors and 4 adults.
The camp was designed for kids to use the 4-H Motto “learn by doing”. Therefore, several days of the camp were centered around learning a new skill associated with fishing or recreational conservation. The first day of camp activities included learning stations, where campers rotated from station to station learning all about fishing. Stations had bait-making, knot-tying and casting, and fish fact matching. Youth, also got to go out on a boat in the Kissimmee River and cast their poles a few times.
The remainder of the week was dedicated to exploring different venues to learn about the fishing industry. We visited Imperial Tropicals in Lakeland where we delved into the world of tropical fish, all of which interestingly were non-native to Florida. A memorable experience awaited us on the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Miss Fort Pierce, where we landed fish that we ate the next day for lunch at our fish fry. Before devouring our previous day’s catch, we dove into learning all about snorkeling, safety in the water, and the importance of life jackets at our county’s sports complex. Friday was our culminating activity day on the St. Lucie County inlet beach where campers spent time snorkeling, swimming, and of course more fishing.
Youth campers truly followed the 4-H motto “learn by doing” as they were able to put practice into place each day of camp. They gained knowledge about rules and regulations set forth by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and understood the importance of following safety guidelines when fishing.
This camp was made possible by a grant funded by the Children Services Council of Okeechobee.
If you missed out this year, be sure to reach out to the 4-H office in May of next year when camp registrations come out.
If fishing doesn’t interest you, we have plenty of other camps that might tickle your fancy. You can reach us at 863-763-6469 or visit our Facebook pages to stay connected:
