By Adam Comer, Aquatic Education Manager

In the past year, the Angler Education program continued its robust service of educating and engaging Texans across the state, about safe and ethical fishing and conservation. The latest annual report is posted on the Instructors Accomplishments webpage. We have an amazing cadre of volunteers we work with!

I’ve also included selected impact numbers below. We recently sent out our annual thank you package & report to all those that reported as an Angler Education volunteer in the past year. We appreciate our instructors keeping their profiles and addresses current!

The Angler Edu team welcomed a new staff member on November 1^st. Natalia Gonzalez joins the team as the Central/South Texas region training specialist. Natalia comes with a variety of experience as a City of Austin Park Ranger, parks and recreation activity coordinator, a private-industry outdoor experience planner and guide, 6 years as an active TPWD Angler Ed. and Fly-Fishing Instructor with 3 years as a TPWD Angler Edu. Area Chief and as a guitar player. We’re thrilled to have Natalia as part of the team and hope the volunteer instructors have an opportunity to connect with her soon.

A new item has recently arrived in our warehouse and will be added to our supply catalog to replace the plastic catch-a-smile bags. To reduce the program’s output of plastics, we’ll now have paper bags for instructors to order for classes and events.  Participants can even use the paper bags to make fish prints or draw a cool fish on!

Photo credit - TPWD

by Dakus Geeslin, TPWD Deputy Director, Coastal Fisheries and Certified Angler Edu Instructor

Youth fishing camp in winter? In Texas? You bet! Each year during the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend in mid-January, the Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited Chapter (GRTU) hosts an all-inclusive Youth Trout Camp (YTC) on the Guadalupe River. Modeled after the Trout Unlimited Headwaters Youth Program, the goal of the GRTU Youth Education Program is to engage and educate Texas youth about our natural resources through various programs and activities and create future conservation stewards and leaders. Since its inception in 2015, YTC has served over 260 youth and parents across Texas and a few from other states. For many, YTC was an introduction to the Guadalupe River, the nation’s southernmost year-round trout fishery. 

By Brandon Roberts, TPWD Volunteer Angler Edu Area Chief Trainer

As instructors, we are constantly trying to find existing products that can be co-opted into our classes, but this can prove difficult.  However, 3D printers open up new and exciting possibilities. The price of 3D printers has reduced dramatically over the years, and you can now find them in your local libraries.

Thousands of common objects have already been created and are free to use, or you can make something yourself with a bit of technical knowledge. Over the last year, I have looked to 3D printing to fill gaps in my tool belt or improve upon existing items. My latest project is to improve my knot-tying section with new hooks. Standard practice uses eye bolts, which work, but have some problems. Not having an actual hook to wrap around can be confusing for students when trying to explain the Palomar knot. Safety is also a concern as young students will frequently attempt to swing around their newly tied-on eye bolt as fast as they can. I have looked for a commercial substitute but I never found a good fit. Enter the 3D printer! 

These hooks are just over 4.5 inches long and have an eye that gives ample room for rope or paracode to be fed through. They also have a barb to help guide discussion about the use of barbed hooks. Each hook takes about an hour to print, some light sanding, and costs only 13 cents in material. These hooks are still in the trial phase but I have received great feedback from students and other instructors. I am excited to continue finding a place for 3D printing in my toolkit and hope you will too.

Photo credit - Brandon Roberts

By Terry Smith, TPWD Volunteer Angler Edu Area Chief Trainer

Cedar Hills State Park hosted the first Dallas area (North Region) Special Olympics Texas State Fishing Competition on September 5^th this past year. What an incredible opportunity to not only bring a fishing competition to Special Olympics, but to showcase our State Parks! This event had approximately twenty athletes fishing for bluegill, catfish and bass. Athletes received support from their families, TPWD Angler Education volunteers, Texas Master Naturalist volunteers and state park employees. Unique to this SOTX event is all of the athletes were able to compete as Unified Athletes alongside their parent, which made it a more family-oriented event. As a volunteer, these are the events I enjoy most. Having grown up camping and fishing as a family, it seems to bring the family closer together and, in most cases, it instills an appreciation of nature and the outdoors. 

We have all heard the expression, “As one door closes, another door opens.” With my daughter Jennifer leaving the public school system, that is how our volunteering changed. While she was in school, “our” volunteering was primarily within the school system. One or two days a week, we were hosting some type of activity with the special needs students. Since Jennifer graduated, we have not done too many school programs but have moved on to other activities. We are a volunteer duo, or as I sometimes call Jennifer, my “sidekick or fishing partner.” She has a great connection with many of the TPWD volunteers and staff. One pretty amazing thing about her is in spite of her intellectual disability, she has a knack for remembering names, which I am not so good at!

The first SOTX Fishing “Tournament” was in October 2021 at Sea Star Base Galveston (SSBG). We were asked to be on the planning committee as Jennifer and I had already been hosting several small local special needs fishing events. This was an incredible opportunity to take our special needs fishing know-how to another level, as well as being associated with SOTX and SSBG for many years. SSBG has been hosting fishing events for years, but getting SOTX acclimated with the fishing terms, equipment, variety of saltwater fish and then linking that with their competition rules and categories was no easy task. The event was a success, and everyone had a great time. With that success, SOTX loved the event and wanted to take it to a state competition level. Unfortunately, we had to move the event to another venue. Being a Sea Center Texas volunteer, I knew just the location. Fortunately, the staff at Sea Center loved the idea and SOTX loved the location as well. The planning started and in October 2022, Sea Center Texas hosted the 1^st (East Region) Special Olympics Texas State Fishing Competition with 50 athletes. 

That led to the 2^nd (East Region) SOTX State Fishing Competition in October 2023 with 100 athletes! What was also incredible about that event, was Jennifer participated as an athlete rather than a volunteer. She continually reminds me now that she catches bigger fish because she “got the gold medal”. My wife Sara was there taking pictures, and I was able to watch her reel in one of four red fish all by herself. What an exciting and memorable moment. That is how all of the families felt as their children caught fish and some of those were huge fish! Memories that will last forever.

We moved on to our 3^rd (East Region) SOTX State Fishing Competition in November 2024 at Sea Center Texas. But it did not stop there! We now have a third location in Texas for another SOTX fishing event! In March of 2025, we will be participating in an (East Region) SOTX Fishing Event at Sabine Pass Battleground Historical Site.

Photo credit - SPBHS website.

This one is a bit different as it will be a local Beaumont/Port Arthur community fishing event for those area athletes. We are planning on have a big Texas Parks & Wildlife presence for that event. I have the pleasure of bringing the fishing gear, supplied by TPWD’s Angler Education. Again, these are all family-oriented events that bring families together and bring awareness to those with special needs who love to fish!

Lastly, I’m so proud to be associated with Texas Parks & Wildlife, who wholeheartedly supports special needs communities. From making sure our fishing venues, whether State Park or other facilities are accessible and safe, to helping those who need it, with specialized fishing equipment. Keep an eye out as we move across Texas with more Special Olympics Fishing opportunities!

By Jim Bratton, TPWD Volunteer Angler Edu Area Chief Trainer and Scouting America Certified Angler Instructor

The CAI program is a training for older youth and adult scouters to lead and execute fishing programs at the council level to provide resources and bring more emphasis to fishing at all levels of the scouting program.

Jim has participated in several ZOOM training sessions with trainers from all over to get good ideas for teaching. This program partners well with TPWD Angler Education certification which also teaches skills but allows instructors to order free literature and borrow equipment where available. This is an asset to scout leaders! 

A friend from Hawaii recently shared an idea about how to offer a safer process to clean fish by not using a fillet knife. The suggestion was to use a utility knife with a carpet blade to make the required cut instead of using a sharp knife.  The utility knife’s carpet blade is only sharp on the underside of the curved blade.

It takes a little practice to become proficient but after testing the use of the utility knife Jim reported that it will be as efficient as a fillet knife for most cuts. He found he was not able to cut the skin from the meat after the initial cut in order to separate the fillet from the backbone. In addition, he used scissors to cut the rib cage bones and separate the flesh from the fish body and they worked wonderfully.

It will take a little time to become knowledgeable as to how to hold the knife, but it will not take very long for it to become easier. 

The scouting program has increased the emphasis and frequency on fishing experiences in Cub Scouts, Lion through Arrow of Light. 

What's an Angling Educator?

The program is designed to give a student who has never fished the skills and knowledge, both practical and ethical, to go to a pond and be immediately successful.  

Certified Angling Instructor Program

Learn more about Scouting America’s Certified Angling Instructor program, which trains leaders to execute fishing programs at the local council level.

The CAI Training courses are facilitated by a team of CAI Course Directors and their staff of Certified Angling Instructors. All instructors maintain a focus on providing enhancements to your fishing program and serving our Scouts.

National High Adventure Base Fishing and planning a high adventure trek

Check out Scout High Adventure bases for a fishing adventure.   

Venturing Ranger Award - Fishing option

Visit this link for the requirements for the Venturing Ranger Award which has a Fishing option. 

Check their site for online course dates or information about adding CAI certification to your expertise.

The Angler Education Area Chief meeting took place last weekend, February 8th at Lake Somerville State Park. Our volunteer area chiefs gathered to network, learn and share new ways to teach skills during the certification workshops they present. This amazing group has a lot of experience as well as passion to teach others fishing.