Missouri Department of conservation seeking volunteers for new fishing program.

[AlexJFoster]

Hello,
My name is Alex Foster, I have been hired by Eric Dennis (Fisheries management biologist) as a fishing education assistant in the Northwest region of Missouri. We are working on a new program entitled, Angler Recruitment and Retention. The idea of the new program is to keep Missouri's fishing heritage thriving. We have plans to do several things for the citizens of Missouri, but we are limited in helpers. The program is almost solely volunteer driven. I am working the entire Northwest Region (Platte City to Iowa) so needless to say it is near impossible for me to help at all of the events we would like to have. If we could get volunteers from throughout the region it would greatly help our efforts in promoting fishing.

We would need help with a few different things. The most help will be beneficial to have at our fishing clinics. The clinics will be put on at local MDC areas, and will include teaching the basics of fishing as well as helping the students remove fish, untangle lines, bait hooks, etc. It can be a really fun day seeing kids catch their first fish. The clinics are not limited to young children we also host events for disabled citizens, nursing homes, and other groups of individuals who would simply like to have assistance with fishing.

Another aspect of the program that we could use some help at is the fishing equipment loaner program. We are planning on putting a basic set of fishing equipment at state parks, libraries, and colleges so that visitors to the area could have easy access to fishing equipment. Since the locations are spread throughout the Northwest corner of the state it would be ideal to find a willing volunteer who lives near each location to be in charge of maintaing the equipment of that one location. The duties would be very simple and would simply include traveling to the location on a "as needed" basis and maintaining fishing rods and reels, and refilling the tackle boxes with equipment that may have been lost. Some months the rods may be tangled and need to be restrung, while other months the equipment may be in fine working order.

I would also like to put on a few large events for the community, such as free fishing days, or large tournaments, Or "take a kid fishing days". I can only plan these type of events if I have enough willing volunteers on standby, to help work the event. Like I have already stated this program is heavily volunteer driven. With the help of the community I really think this program will be a success and get a lot of individuals hooked on fishing.

If you are interested in giving back to your community and would like to hear more information about our new program feel free to send me a message and I will get back with you ASAP and forward my email and phone number to you.

Thank you for your time,

Alex J Foster
Fishing education assistant
Northwest Region
Missouri Department of Conservation

[Speck]

Welcome Alex!!! That sounds like a great program. I'm sure there are several on here who would be happy to help. If you have some events in Southeast MO, I'd love to help.

[tackle box]

Sounds great. Are there any similar programs in other parts of the state?

[Jigging15]

Welcome to the site. Sounds like a great program and you have some great ideas to help promote fishing with the youth and others that may not know about the outdoors or have the means to go fishing. We have several members that would fall in your territory. Hopefully they will step up and provide some help for you. Same as Speck if you have some one needing help in the Truman lake "West Central MO" area let us know. Henry county agents do a great job of putting on several kids fishing events. I have been lucky enough to help out at several of these at the Windsor city park in Windsor and also at the Henry county office pond. I donated lots of small items like a 100 bobbers and some jigs for a kids fishing day at the county office pond that a Facebook hunting/fishing group put on last summer. It is a lot of fun and very rewarding when you see the kids faces light up after catching their first fish. Best of luck to you on getting the sport of fishing out to more kids and even the adults who may not have someone to introduce them to it otherwise. We will help you out in any way we can.

[keeferfish]

Maybe a CDC event on Smithville and we each take an extra partner. Maybe a new young angler? Joedog???

Welcome Alex!

[AlexJFoster]

Maybe a CDC event on Smithville and we each take an extra partner. Maybe a new young angler? Joedog???

Welcome Alex!

I have thought of something like this, and I think it would be a great event. If people are interested in volunteering their time/boats it would be great.

And as for the rest of the state. The same program is going on in the entire state, Each region has a Supervisor, and an assistant in charge of promoting the program. The program is brand new, so I am still getting questions answered about it, and we will be having an orientation/training soon. After that I can provide a list of the individuals in charge of the rest of the state.

[Jigging15]

That would great to see who is doing it in each of our areas.

[cschottfish]

Jared is it all right if this information is reposted somewhere else?

[olesilverside]

Don't ever sell these young kids short on fishing....... two of the biggest butt whippins I ever had was by young guns....I mean like one 12 years old and one about 5 years old.....I figured I could use 1/16 oz crappie jig and 5' rod on these bluegills...... they tore me up with small hooks and a bobber with a little piece of worm...... so bad I never put one in the boat and have never talked much about it....have to admit I had more fun taking there's off the hook when they would catch them...... never under estimate a kid and a snoopy rod and reel......and that 12 year old girl in fact, cleaned and give me 8 nice blue gills, and then said something like since I wasn't having any luck she felt sorry for me......I'd take a whippin anyday and never complain.....now Ron on the other hand...... I just won't stand for it.....

[bovairean]

Feel free to send me a pm. I would be will it take on some equipment maintenance or assist at some outings