Fishing 4-H Project Area

Share this

The 4-H sportfishing materials will take you on a journey that ranges from the old-time favorites of developing angling skills and creating fishing tackle to aquatic education and the dynamics of people and fish (angling, fisheries management and folkways). Each booklet contains activities for three years. Complete six sportfishing achievement program activities each year; complete each level within three years; complete all steps of the planning guide learning experiences; and participate in at least three leadership experiences each year.

In Take the Bait (Sportfishing 1), you’ll have fun playing a fish, tying knots, casting to a target, rigging various lines, selecting tackle, identifying where the fish are, using different baits and lures, identifying fish, cooking fish, and identifying internal and external fish parts.

Reel in the Fun (Sportfishing 2) will help you locate fishing information on the web; cast using a spinning rod, fly rod and bait casting reel; practice responsible citizenship; research fishing regulations; decorate a lure; sew a fly wallet; tie an artificial fly; and test a water sample.

You will develop leadership skills and fishing skills in Cast into the Future (Sportfishing 3) as you take a friend fishing, demonstrate how to disassemble and reassemble a fishing reel, design and conduct a sportfishing skillathon, make artificial flies, design and craft a lure, customize tackle, build and use a kick net, respond to ethical situations and interview a professional fisherman.

Scoresheets

Contact your local Extension Office

Extension Offices
Level 1 - Taking the Bait: Complete six required and/or optional “Fishing Deeper” activities in Take the Bait Achievement Program each year. Complete the program in three years. If you do additional activities, please check the six activities you want to be graded. Record in your Take the Bait notebook the what, when, where, and how you accomplished each selected “Fishing Deeper” activity. Include your notebook with your project book for grading.
Level 2 - Reel in the Fun: Complete six required and/or optional “Fishing Deeper” activities in Reel in the Fun Achievement Program each year. Complete the program in three years. If you do additional activities, please check the six activities you want to be graded. Record in your Reel in the Fun notebook the what, when, where, and how you accomplished each selected “Fishing Deeper” activity. Include your notebook with your project book for grading
Level 3 - Cast into the Future: Complete six required and/or optional “Fishing Deeper” activities in Cast into the Future Achievement Program each year. Complete the program in three years. If you do additional activities, please check the six activities you want to be graded. Record in your Cast Into the Future notebook the what, when, where, and how you accomplished each selected “Fishing Deeper” activity. Include your notebook with your project book for grading.

Exhibit Ideas

Level 1 - Taking the Bait: A poster or display on two sportfishing activities completed this year in Take the Bait plus your “Fishing Deeper” activities notebook and project book.

Level 2 - Reel in the Fun: A poster or display on two sportfishing activities completed this year in Reel in the Fun plus your “Fishing Deeper” activities notebook and project book.

Level 3 - Cast into the Future: A poster or display on two sportfishing activities completed this year in the Cast into the Future plus your “Fishing Deeper” activities notebook and project book.

How Do I Sign Up?

Screenshot of 4-H ZSuite enrollment page to select project

The first step is to create an enrollment in our ZSuite website.

Enroll in 4-H ZSuite

When you get to the CLUBS tab of the enrollment, you will want to ADD PROJECT.

For Fishing, you should search for:

FISHING/YEAR 1 (TAKE THE BAIT)
FISHING/YEAR 2 (TAKE THE BAIT)
FISHING/YEAR 3 (TAKE THE BAIT)
FISHING/YEAR 4 (REEL IN THE FUN)
FISHING/YEAR 5 (REEL IN THE FUN)
FISHING/YEAR 6 (REEL IN THE FUN)
FISHING/YEAR 7 (CAST INTO THE FUTURE)
FISHING/YEAR 8 (CAST INTO THE FUTURE)

Project Videos

We hope you brought your waders, because we're about to dive into the world of brook trout, West Virginia's only native trout species.

Join Sheldon Owen, WVU Extension wildlife specialist, along with WVU Wildlife and Fisheries Resources graduate students Cory and Emilee to learn why non-native trout are commonly stocked, identify the differences between cold and warm water fish and explore the unique characteristics of brook trout.