FISHING. Section 1 : Award List. Section 2 : General Rules & Safety. Section 3: Award Requirements. Junior Fisherman Award. Objective.

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1 FISHING Section 1 : Award List Proficiency for this program requires all of the awards listed below: 1. Junior Fisherman Award (this award must be earned before a camper is allowed to fish from any boat) 2. Senior Fisherman Award 3. Fish I.D. Award 4. Casting Award 5. Tackle Maintenance Award 6. Cleaning & Filleting Award Section 2 : General Rules & Safety 1. General Camp Emergency Procedures a. Severe Weather - Morris Bathrooms b. Land & Water Emergency - Benches 2. Wear shoes 3. Don't enter the fishing hut without permission 4. Respect fish, equipment, counselors, and each other 5. Don't go in the water past your knees 6. Always wear a lifejacket on a boat 7. Don't put the reel in water/sand 8. BE SAFE - always WATCH YOUR HOOK! Section 3: Award Requirements Junior Fisherman Award Objective Prerequisites The Camper will be able to show knowledge of equipment and demonstrate its correct use. None Safety Rules Always fish with a buddy Always watch your hook

Knowledge Required Basic Parts of rod/reel Parts of a reel: 1. Bail 2. Reel 3. Drag - To ensure that there isn't too much tension on the line while a fish is on the line. 4. Handle 5. Spool 6. Root 7.

2 Knowledge Required Basic Parts of rod/reel Parts of a reel: 1. Bail 2. Reel 3. Drag - To ensure that there isn't too much tension on the line while a fish is on the line. 4. Handle 5. Spool 6. Root 7. Reel Protector Parts of a rod: 1. Handle 2. Reel 3. Pole 4. Eyelet 5. Tip 6. Hook Keeper How the bobber should work when fitted correctly: Push the top bottom to release the bottom hook. Once the line is secured through the bottom hook repeat the first step to release the top hook and secure the line through the top hook of the bobber. Skills Required Tie basic Clinch Knot Attach a bobber or float correctly to the line Demonstrate safe and correct casting technique (Side cast) Cast into closest casting hoop 3 times Bait the hook with assistance Senior Fisherman Award Objective Prerequisites The Camper will be able to show competence in the inner workings of a reel and correct bait presentation. Junior Fisherman Award

3 Safety Rules General fishing rules Knowledge Required Name all parts of a hook Parts of a Hook: 1. Eye 2. Shaft 3. Bend 4. Barb 5. Point 6. Bite 7. Gap Understand the concept of "catch and release" o Catch and release - set free the fish you caught in order to preserve the balance of fish population. Catch and release fishing improves native fish populations by allowing more fish to remain and reproduce in the ecosystem. This practice provides an opportunity for increasing numbers of anglers to enjoy fishing and to successfully catch fish. Skills Required Thread a live worm correctly unassisted Hook another type of bait unassisted Unhook a fish safely Disassemble and correctly re-assemble a reel 1. Disassemble the drag setter by turning counter clockwise until it can be removed. 2. Once the top drag can be removed start to disassemble the spool carefully, so that you don't lose any of the small screws that are not easily replaced. 3. Remove the screw that is located on the end of the bar to be able to release and remove the bar. 4. Remove the bearings that are located under the spool. 5. When disassembling the reel make sure to be very careful and to not lose any of the screws and bears because they are unable to be replaced and it will make the reel useless. Catch and identify at least 2 different types of fish

4 Release fish correctly with as little disturbance to the fish as possible o Hold the fish and gently set him in the water. Make sure it possible for water to enter the fish's gills in a manner that won't harm the fish. Fish I.D. Award Objective Prerequisites The Camper will be able to identify all species of fish found on the ID chart of Corey Lake, and be able to explain the adaptations of most fish. None Safety Rules General fishing rules Some species such as Bass, Perch & Panfish all have a spiky dorsal fin which can cause injury & must be avoided Bass also have sharp gill covers so camper should be careful when handling them Knowledge Required The purpose and uses of fins, scales, senses o Fins: to swim, to stablize, and guide while in the water. Some fish also have sharp fins to help protect them from predators. o Scales: to protect from sharp objects like coral, or predator's teeth. Scales are boney and overlap, which protect and allow for a gliding side-side swimming motions. o Senses: Taste - fish have tongues with thousands of taste buds. Catfish have taste buds through their bodies. Their whiskers or barbels have many taste buds packed into the little area. Smell - fish have small openings on either side of the head towards the front part of its snout to find food and sense danger. Sight - a fish's eyes are located on either side of its head, which allow it to see every direction but directly behind. A fish also doesn't have eyelids due to a fish's eye ability to never need to change size regardless of amount of light. Most fish can only see up to 15 ft. in any direction at any given time. Touch - A lateral line, a row of tiny holes, runs along each side of the body. Sensitive hairs inside each hole detect the location and direction of movement. Basic Fish Anatomy membranes. How fish breathe: As water passes over a system of extremely fine gill membranes, fish absorb the water's oxygen content. Gills contain a network of fine blood vessels (capillaries) that take up the oxygen and diffuse it through the

Correctly identify all the fish outlined on the theory sheet: Pan Fish A term used to describe any wide, flat fish. Generally have small mouths and found in many colors.

Generally caught through still-fishing and fly-fishing. Blue Gill Color is mostly a yellowish gold with lateral black stripes down its body.

They stay relatively close to shore and are known to feed on small bugs and other easily obtained food. The spawning sites for the fish are usually on sand banks and in shallow water.

5 Correctly identify all the fish outlined on the theory sheet: Pan Fish A term used to describe any wide, flat fish. Generally have small mouths and found in many colors. Examples include Blue Gill, Sunfish, Crappie, and Rock Bass. Spawn late May - early August. Grow about 1 inch per year in this area. Can be up to 11 inches long. Feeds on Mayflies and crustaceans. Generally caught through still-fishing and fly-fishing. Blue Gill Color is mostly a yellowish gold with lateral black stripes down its body. It gets its name from the blue color on its gill cover located on it check. The lateral and pelvic fin are spiny to be used for its protection. They stay relatively close to shore and are known to feed on small bugs and other easily obtained food. The spawning sites for the fish are usually on sand banks and in shallow water. Sunfish One of the most common panfish in lakes. They range in size but don't get too large. They can be found mostly close near shore or on sand banks. They are known to travel in schools in numbers more than 10. They are known to grow larger than the blue gill but not as large as crappie. Black Crappie The black crappie gets its name from black dots randomly placed throughout its body. They have large mouths and have 7 to 8 dorsal fins. They live in places with more plants like near weed beds and are most active at night. Crappies are a schooling fish, so they group together. They tend to feed on small minnows and bugs. The method of jigging and bobber fishing is usually the best method to catch these fish. Rock Bass The rock bass is known to be the heavy bodied part of the pan fish family. They tend to grow larger than most pan fish and feed on minnows and larger prey than pan fish. They have the same body structure, as most pan fish but are easily identifiable by it red eyes.

Largemouth Bass Long thick bodies, green color with black stripe the length of the body. Jaw extends past eye.

Feed on small fish less than two inches, and cray fish. Often caught by casting lures and fly-fishing.

Seems to have a small mouth because the jaw doesn't extend back past the eyes like the Largemouth.

Growth, feeding and angling methods are the same as the Largemouth.

They do not grow as long as their cousin's the Channel catfish but tend to be bulkier in size.

They use their "sassy" whiskers to find food and to sense for danger.

Walleye They are known as a great game fish and also very elusive.

6 Largemouth Bass Long thick bodies, green color with black stripe the length of the body. Jaw extends past eye. Spawn early-mid May. Grow 2-3 inches per year to approximately 10lbs & 24 inches. Feed on small fish less than two inches, and cray fish. Often caught by casting lures and fly-fishing. Smallmouth Bass Same as the Largemouth, but usually has several vertical stripes. Seems to have a small mouth because the jaw doesn't extend back past the eyes like the Largemouth. Spawn late April to late May. Grows up to 18 inches and 5lbs. Growth, feeding and angling methods are the same as the Largemouth. Bullhead Catfish These fish are one of the more aggressive species of catfish and one of the most common. They do not grow as long as their cousin's the Channel catfish but tend to be bulkier in size. They feed on the bottom and scavenge for food. They use their "sassy" whiskers to find food and to sense for danger. Their main adaption for survival is large barbs on their pelvic fin and also one on their dorsal fin. Walleye They are known as a great game fish and also very elusive. They tend to feed on small fish such as minnows or even small blue gill. They have been able to adapt by having good vision at night due to its incredible sight at night. Yellow Perch Long body with alternating green and yellow vertical stripes and usually yellow or orange fins. They don't have sharp canine teeth. Spawn early to late April. Grows 3 inches per year for 3 years, then 1 inch per year thereafter up to 15 inches. Feeds mainly on insect larvae. Generally caught by still-fishing.

Rainbow Trout Skills Required Correctly identify all fish caught throughout the period Casting Award Objective The camper will be able to show accuracy when casting Prerequisites None Safety Rules

7 Rainbow Trout Skills Required Correctly identify all fish caught throughout the period Casting Award Objective The camper will be able to show accuracy when casting Prerequisites None Safety Rules Always watch your hook Knowledge Required Basic working of rod/reel Skills Required Beginning: Cast into the blue hoop in the water 10 out of 30 tries. Intermediate: Cast into the red hoop in the water 10 out of 30 tries. Advance: Cast into the white hoop in the water 9 out of 30 tries. Tackle Maintenance Award Objective The Camper will be able to competently disassemble, clean and reassemble a reel. Prerequisites None Safety Rules General Fishing Safety Rules Knowledge Required Know all parts of the reel and rod Skills Required Take out any backlash or snag without cutting or damaging the line Know how & when to clean and oil reels Take apart a reel completely and reassemble it correctly Put a line on a closed-face spinning reel evenly Fix a broken eye on a rod

8 Tie four types of commonly used fishing knots correctly o Palomar Knot o Clinch Knot o Specialist Fly Knot o Bobber Stopper Knot

9 Cleaning & Filleting Award Objective Prerequisites Safety Rules To clean a fish (large enough to be kept, by Michigan Law) safely and thoroughly. Junior Fisherman Award Senior Fisherman Award Fish I.D. Award Casting Award Tackle Maintenance Award General Safety rules Knife safety Knowledge Required Correct use of knives All information covered on theory sheet Skills Required Clean one fish thoroughly Cleaning Fish Procedure Start by making sure your fillet knife is properly sharpened and ready for use. To begin, make a cut behind the gill cover, also known as the operculum, and cut forward towards the head. Do this on both sides and cut at a 45-degree angle to ensure that none of the organs will be cut, which will make a mess. After this is done cut toward the Caudal fin following the Lateral line. Once this is done on both sides, remove the inside of the fish and the extra parts such as head, insides, etc. Take the two fillets that came off each side of the fish and proceed to cut as close to the scales as possible to get the largest and most complete fillets without wasting any of the meat. The most effective way to do so is to take small precise cuts and take it slow in order to make sure it is done properly. Section 4: Day-by-day schedule Attendance is the first priority each period. Take attendance promptly and call it in immediately. Monday: Rules, name game, how to tie an improved clinch knot, attach a bobber, bait, and how to cast Tuesday: Fish from the dock Wednesday: Get live bait and teach them how to attach it to a hook. Go to Dave's Point. Thursday: Go to Island and fish. (ask nature if it's okay first) Friday: Give the campers the choice of where to fish from. Clean up program area. Section 5: Bad weather alternatives For rain: Fishing stories and games inside of the fishing hut or join BCK. Listen to walkie for further instruction and updates.

10 Section 6: Inventory Fake bait Rods First aid kit Weights Line Oil Minnow Nets *There is a cap around 10 kids per period. Use your judgment on how many rods you think you will need. Kids will fish in buddy groups, so have at least 8 working rods incase one breaks. Ask for live bait from the Water Program Director once a week.

BENSON PARK POND FISH SPECIES

BENSON PARK POND FISH SPECIES Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) From the Greek, lepomis means scaled gill cover and macrochirus means large hand, in reference to its body shape and size. Average adult size