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WF/MWC and the Kids Fishing
Workshop
People often ask me how I started fishing. I tell them that my dad
started taking me out in the boat with him when I was six months old. He'll
tell you that it was to expose me to the outdoors right from the start.
As a child, I spent hours learning to cast in our backyard during the
summer. The winter months were spent sorting out my tackle box.
Many of my favorite childhood memories are of fishing. My younger
sister, Cori, and I were always eager to spend the night camping on the pier
in Sheboygan, WI, with hundreds of other fishermen during the salmon run.
Then there was the day in 1983 that we went trolling for walleyes.
Cori was four and I was six years old. I don't remember catching any
walleyes that day, but I'll never forget Cori reeling in a 42 inch musky.
That fish was longer than she was tall!
It's memories like these that I would like to give other children the
opportunity to create. As a way to achieve that goal my dad, Dick Solis, and
I have created a program for kids in all the communities that Wildlife
Forever's Masters Walleye Circuit travels to.
For two hours on the Thursday evening before the tournament we host a
kids fishing workshop. The workshop is free and open to kids of all ages.
After a brief introduction, the kids split off into groups and begin to
learn the basics of fishing. Circuit fishermen volunteer their time to help
the kids learn about knot tying, casting, fish filleting, bait, jig tying,
map reading and more.
The workshop has become a popular pre-tournament event, with more and
more fishermen offering their time and expertise, including Eric Olson,
Jason Przekurat, Don Solis, Bert Wilson, Colin Crawford, Dean Novak, Pete
Huibregtse, Tim Minnema, Tracy Chappell, Jim Bonjour, Nick Johnson, Curt
Poquette, Randy Stevens and Bill Herbst.
Each of the kids leaves the workshop with a handful of goodies. Many
sponsors have made generous donations to the program. Pure Fishing', Berkley,
Abu Garcia, Red Wolf has donated line and rods. Bayshore
Resort Bat and Tackle of Gladstone, MI, Normark and Lindy-Little Joe have
donated tackle, in addition to donations from Ranger Boats.
Our reward comes in watching these kids as they learn something new and
the sense of achievement they have. Kid's are essential to maintaining the
future of this sport. Through this program we hope that we can aid in
helping to create the angler's of the future.
Written by Keri Solis
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