JAKE! Jake earned the honor of the Diehard Angler award for the first week of camp because he truly has a passion for fishing. He is very quick on his

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2 JAKE! Jake earned the honor of the Diehard Angler award for the first week of camp because he truly has a passion for fishing. He is very quick on his feet and utilizes any resources he can to make sure that he can keep fishing. For example, at Tigertail Lake, one of the counselors saw him digging in the ground and kept hearing him say, They re under the rocks. Flip the rocks to find worms. She asked him what he was doing in which he explained that he had to find more worms because his worm cup was empty. That was very clever and not something the counselors are used to witnessing because most other campers are quick to just go get another worm cup. Jake also caught a very nice Largemouth Bass by himself at Tradewinds Park. Keep on fishing Jake!

3 CHRIS! Chris is the epitome of a Diehard Angler, which is why he was awarded this honor for Week 2. Not only does his passion for fishing show each time he goes fishing, but he also tries to help others find their passion as well. Chris spends more time helping other campers than actually going fishing himself. If he hooked up on a fish, he was more than willing to let another camper, who had not had the best of luck, reel in the fish. Once he was asked, What does fishing mean to you? He responded, It means everything to me. This is the perfect example of a Diehard Angler because he definitely will continue fishing for each time is a new adventure for him, and the IGFA definitely will be seeing more of him in the future as a volunteer. Thanks for your passion Chris!

4 EYAL! Eyal was chosen as Week 3 s Diehard Angler because of his improvement since Week 1 of summer camp. He had definitely developed and stepped up his interest in fishing and passed that along to some of his own friends as well. He encouraged others throughout the week and became very excited with each fish that he caught. In fact, he had gained such a passion for fishing, he signed up for IGFA s new Advanced Angling week later this summer. That week was created specifically for dedicated Diehard Anglers like Eyal who is devoted to learning more about this favored recreational sport and gain more experiences and knowledge to perfect his cast, fish ID, and contribute to conservation. Keep up the great work Eyal!

5 DOMINIC! Week 4 is a little different than other weeks because it is more focused on Marine Biology and less on fishing. Marine Biology is important to learn about and understand because it greatly affects the conservation of our aquatic organisms. The Marine Biologist for this week was Dominic. He definitely showed an interest in the ocean ecosystem and all of its inhabitants. He was extremely curious in the animals found at Crandon Park and kept exploring more. While snorkeling, he practiced his fish identification and strived to keep learning from the counselors. It seemed like he almost became a fish himself with the number of times he dove under the water! Never stop exploring Dominic!

6 Cristian! Cristian was Week 5 s Diehard Angler even though he had only gone fishing once in his life before coming to IGFA s Summer Fishing Camp! However, he is definitely a life-long angler for he was so interested in learning more about the sport to perfect his techniques to catch different species of fish. On Monday, he had his notebook out making notes to learn the different characteristics of coastal species as we were going through a fish ID presentation. That showed dedication and contributed to his growing passion for fishing. He also had many firsts this week including catching his first Peacock Bass. These memories he created in camp will stick with him as he develops himself into an avid angler. Keep fishing Cristian!

7 Brandon! Brandon was chosen as Week 6 s Diehard Angler because he is the epitome of a Diehard Angler. He spent more time fishing than doing anything else. He definitely knows his fishing and shows a passion for the sport. His patience outcompeted any other camper s this week, which paid off because he caught A LOT of fish. He did also lend a hand to other camper s who were struggling a bit. It is campers like Brandon who we need to keep teaching the younger ones for they too will grow up to be Diehard Anglers. He is a great role model for the younger ones. Keep up the great work Brandon and keep wearing your signature sunglasses!

8 Will! For Week 7 s camp, we did something we do not normally do. We honored two Diehard Anglers. The first was Will. He was chosen because his interest in fishing had increased exponentially since the first week he came to camp this summer. In previous weeks, he remained interested in every single fish that he caught (in camp and out of camp). He actually stumped his counselors with a fish he catches on his own. It was another exotic species found in Florida called the Malawi Cichlid. We had to file an exotic species report to get the identification confirmed. It s not everyday that campers stump their counselors with fish identification! Will also took notes from and got his picture taken with his new-found idol, IGFA Trustee and World Record Holder Marty Arostegui, who was our guest speaker this week. His excitement for fishing is very contagious. Keep hold of that passion Will!

9 Ryan! The second Diehard Angler chosen for this week was Ryan. Ryan has been with the IGFA since the dawn of time, but he was chosen for this week because the counselors saw a true change in him. It is very evident he has a passion for fishing but this week, he grew more into the role of a mentor. He was the only camper who the counselors trusted to use their own personal equipment and with that, he spent his time helping other campers fish and showing them tips and tricks. There is no doubt that Ryan knows what he is doing when it comes to fishing, but the counselors were waiting for him to show them that he could take it to the next level to not only improve his skills but to also guide others who do not know a fraction of what he knows. He definitely excelled at this during this week s camp, which earned him the honor of Diehard. He is just one more step closer to becoming an exemplary IGFA volunteer to further mentor kids with fishing. Congrats Ryan! Keep educating others!

10 Dawson! Dawson definitely took his skills Beyond the Beach to earn the title of the Diehard Angler for Week 8. This particular angler definitely brings a certain type of personality to camp and to fishing in general. There s never a dull moment when you fish with Dawson and there definitely is never a moment where his shirt remains white because he may or may not have fallen. At times, his sense of humor gets the best of him and overtakes his fishing skills, but the counselors definitely saw an improvement in him this week, which is why they dubbed him the Diehard. He also passed on his skills to other campers who needed a bit more help this week too. Keep that comedy coming Dawson!

11 Nolan! Nolan took home the honor of being IGFA s Marine Biologist for the first ever Advanced Marine week of summer camp! From the start, this biologist took off learning, and he thoroughly enjoyed every single activity and field trip of the week. From catching his first Peacock Bass in our aging fish study to improving his fish ID skills, to dissecting lionfish, and to leading his team in pulling up the drum lines during the shark tagging trip, Nolan definitely proved that he is a future conservationist and a scientist in the making. His excitement for the outdoors and for learning about wildlife will always remain a part of him as he continues to explore aquatic ecosystems. Keep exploring Nolan, and we hope to see you back so that we can share more knowledge and more fun experiences together!

12 Dylan! It was no surprise come Monday morning of this week that Dylan knew his fishing. However, he earned one of the Diehard Angler awards for IGFA s first ever Advanced Angling week because not only did he know his fishing, but he spent the majority of his week, educating his fellow anglers. Whether it was just giving tips and tricks and guidance or sharing fishing stories, he was a huge help to the counselors and volunteers. As an avid fly fishermen, he chose to do this type of fishing for the majority of the field trips this week, and he spent his time trying to guide others to catch a largemouth bass on fly just like he did. It was a true honor to work with Dylan during the Advanced Angling week, but I do hope that his counselors were able to teach him a thing or two. We also hope that he comes back and works with us as a volunteer. Tight lines Dylan!

13 Sebastian! The second Diehard Angler chosen for the Advanced Angling week was Sebastian, who was patiently waiting for this award the whole summer. He is actually better known for the Ultimate Diehard Angler because that s who Sebastian is. This angler fishes 100% of his time. He does not wait for anyone else or will go somewhere else and pull up a huge fish if he originally was fishing in someone else s spot or with someone else s rod. He is a pretty easy going angler because he knows that the only thing he has to prove is how to best present his bait to the fish. Every time we went fishing, it was him and the fish, which is why you can see some of the more impressive fish he caught during this week among many others he caught throughout the whole entire summer. At such a young age, Sebastian has many years of fishing ahead of him and much knowledge to gain, but he definitely has the potential to become one of the angling greats of our time and just might land himself into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame one day. Thanks for a great summer Sebastian!