As you'll see in this television episode, parents like to show how much they know... or what they think they know. We get it. It’s part of being a parent. So watch and learn how to use simple quizzes to test their boating safety savvy while also making them aware of key boating safety points… such as:
Help them build on their knowledge – Parents are supposed to have more life experiences than their kids, that should equate to more safety smarts. So ask them to use that experience to create a Family Float Plan… even if they don’t what a float plan is. Simply ask them to imagine what could go wrong on a boating adventure, then how to minimize those risks with a float plan. Have then write it down... which is part of actually creating a float plan.
Blend boating “fun” with boating “safety” – Once you’re out on the water having fun, boating, fishing or whatever, present a few more quiz competitions (maybe the loser buys ice cream at the end of the day) Consider some of these critical quiz questions:
Want to really "plunge headlong" into getting your parents and classmates into having a blast learning about boating safety? (That's right, you are allowed to have fun learning how to be safe on the water). Learn more on sharing the peer-driven classroom video and the FREE lesson activity that's designed to get the entire class involved in three days of interactive learning... while having a blast with kid-parent-instructor role playing in school where everyone gets ALL ABOARD with boating safety! And check out the other boating safety videos in the thumbnails... in the upper right window.
The information in our video and on this page was made possible by our educational partners.
For instance, how many parents put on their life jackets even before stepping on the dock or getting in a boat? Not enough. Why? Because they think they know better, or boast that they’re better swimmers than most. So what’s a kid to do? Follow some of these ideas on how to recruit parents into becoming safety-savvy boaters.
Give them a quiz – Parents like to show how much they know. It’s part of being a parent. So use simple quizzes to test their knowledge while also making them aware of key boating safety points… such as:
Help them build on their knowledge – Parents have life experience. So ask them to use that experience to create a Family Float Plan… even if they don’t know what a float plan is. Simply ask them to imagine what could go wrong on a boating adventure, then how to minimize those risks with a float plan.
Blend boating “fun” with boating “safety” – Once you’re out on the water having fun, boating, fishing or whatever, present a few more quiz competitions (maybe the loser buys ice cream at the end of the day) Consider some of these critical quiz questions:
Dangerous “Adult” Behaviors – Parents should know better than to engage in high-risk behaviors, right? But not all adults realize those risks. So ask your parents, “What’s the number one contributing factor to fatal boating accidents?” Answer = Alcohol use while boating. Then ask them what’s the most responsible way to prevent that if someone really loves their family? There’s only one right answer to that question.
Physics Lesson – To really ratchet up the brains of your parents, give them the ultimate “physics quiz”. First, tell them that “collisions” are one of the leading causes of serious boating accidents. Then ask them to research and answer:
The top 3 contributing factors to all those avoidable boating collisions each year are;
That’s a lot of operator error. Those contributing factors are followed by operator excesses… excessive speed and excessive alcohol.
For more family boating safety savvy, click on the LEARN MORE section. To share in that learning at home or in your classroom, download and have a blast by participating in the FREE lesson activity below... where kids take the lead in educating parents about boating safety!
The information in our video and on this page was made possible by our educational partners. To learn more about Getting Families Fishing and boating safely, click on their logos below to explore their websites.
Whether you're boating or fishing from a boat, canoe, or kayak, being safe on the water comes down to a few basic facts. The first fact facing us humans is that we can't breathe if we're underwater. Duaah, no kidding! But even floundering in rough water on the surface can cause someone to choke on so much water that they could pass out and drown.
That concept is supported by the second fact: 79% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims, 86% were not wearing a life jacket.
And although we can't survey people who drowned, (because they're dead or fish-bait) most who were not wearing a PFD (personal flotation device) would probably have boasted beforehand that they didn't need to wear one because... "What? Me worry? Heck, I'm a decent swimmer!" Kinda makes you wonder if they thought about that as they took their last lung-full of water before they passed out and drowned?
All of that makes the third fact pretty simple logic; It's pretty darn hard to drown if you're wearing your life jacket. So why were those hundreds of fatal drowning victims each year not wearing a PFD? That's what we'll decode here both in the content of this webpage, in the video here, and for students and teachers to learn from each other in the fun, interactive lesson activity at the bottom of this page.
So let’s begin by decoding the two reasons people make fatal mistakes. People contribute to fatal accidents, on the water or on land, because they either 1) don’t recognize the potential dangers beforehand, or 2) they think it’s not that dangerous for them, so they try doing it anyway. Although we can’t prevent someone from risking their life or the lives of loved ones, we can solve “not knowing” with education that empowers people to make safe-n-smart choices on the water. We already covered the first biggie; wearing your life jacket from the moment you get near the water to the moment you’re on dry land again. And if you hear someone whining about the excuses for not wearing one; “It makes me look fat”, “It’s too bulky and hot”, “It makes me look uncool to my friends”. Push the pause button and ask them if they want to look dead or alive. Then explain Fact #2 to them.
Of course there are other reasons that people get into trouble on the water. In fact there are soooo many reasons and circumstances that it's too much to try and cover here. If you'd like to research those details, explore the boating safety website of our educational partner here, The U.S. Coast Guard. And before you ever try operating a boat, you really should:
The information in our video and on this page was made possible by our educational partners.
Whether you’re boating or fishing from a boat, canoe, or kayak, being safe on the water comes down to a few basic facts. The first fact facing us humans is that we can’t breathe if we’re underwater. Even teens... Duaah, no kidding! But even floundering in rough water on the surface can cause someone to choke on so much water that they could pass out and drown.
That concept is supported by the second fact: 79% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims, 86% were not wearing a life jacket.
And although we can’t survey people who drowned, (because they’re dead or fish-bait) most who were not wearing a PFD (personal flotation device) would probably have boasted beforehand that they didn’t need to wear one because… “What? Me worry? Heck, I’m a decent swimmer!” Kinda makes you wonder if they thought about that as they took their last lung-full of water before they passed out and drowned?
All of that makes the third fact pretty simple logic; It’s pretty darn hard to drown if you’re wearing your life jacket. So why were those hundreds of fatal drowning victims each year not wearing a PFD? That’s what we’ll decode here both in the content of this webpage, in the video here, and for students and teachers to learn from each other in the fun, interactive lesson activity at the bottom of this page.
So let’s begin by decoding the two reasons people make fatal mistakes. People contribute to fatal accidents, on the water or on land, because they either don't recognize the potential dangers beforehand, or they think it's not that dangerous for them, so they try doing it anyway. Although we can’t prevent someone from risking their life or the lives of loved ones, we can solve "not knowing" with an education that empowers people to make safe-n-smart choices on the water. We already covered the first biggie; wearing your life jacket from the moment you get near the water to the moment you’re on dry land again. And if you hear someone whining about the excuses for not wearing one; “It makes me look fat”, “It’s too bulky and hot”, or “It makes me look uncool to my friends”. Push the pause button and ask them if they want to look dead or alive. Then explain Fact #2 to them.
Of course, there are other reasons that people get into trouble on the water. In fact, there are so many reasons and circumstances that it’s too much to try and cover here. If you’d like to research those details, explore the boating safety website of our educational partner here, The U.S. Coast Guard. And before you ever try operating a boat, you really should:
The information in our video and on this page was made possible by our educational partners. To learn more about Getting Families Fishing and boating safely, click on their logos below to explore their websites.
Imagine this. You and your family are getting ready for a perfect day of fishing, you've looked forward to it all week, only to sit out on the boat watching the day go by without a single bite. “Where did we go wrong?” you ask yourself. You're not alone, this happens to countless anglers every year. But fear not, the answer, more often than not, lies in how the weather affects fishing. And today, you’re going to learn some basics every angler should know about how fish react in all kinds of weather.
Fish are just like people in that they prefer certain kinds of weather over others. Some fish don't like the rain and will go deeper underwater. Other fish love a good downpour. When it rains, insects get knocked into the water, so these fish will stay close to the surface looking for a meal.
Fish like largemouth bass will come closer to shore on windy days. This is because small panfish like bluegill and sunfish will be pushed toward the bank with the wind, or will follow insects that are blown to the bank. The bass eats those small fish so naturally follow along.
Contrary to popular belief, a nice sunny day is not always the best day for fishing. When it's too hot, fish can become lethargic. To beat the heat, fish usually go deeper into cooler waters. This is one of the reasons why people tend to fish early in the morning or early in the evening during the summer when the temperatures are a little cooler. Fish will bite more during a cold front, as that front displaces the heat they were attempting to avoid.
There are many weather factors that play into a successful day of fishing. In this video, our expert angler goes through some of those factors as our Into The Outdoors crew attempts to catch the big one.
As you’ll discover in our video library of Getting Families Fishing episodes and the related educational topic videos, fishing, and boating are fantastic ways to spend time with family, learn about conservation, enjoy the outdoors, AND learn about aquatic science and yourself.
So take a moment and explore the dozens of videos on fishing and aquatic science here. The custom learning videos you'll find there are designed to share with your entire classroom. You’ll also find other educational content, including custom lesson activities that blend peer-driven learning and hands-on activities. Now go learn to catch fish!
And for even more information and resources related to fishing and boating, head to TakeMeFishing.org and DiscoverBoating.com. To learn more about America's Getting Families Fishing Initiative, head to the Future Angler Foundation.
Ethical angling doesn't just mean buying a license and following the rules and regulations, there's so much more to it. From respecting our natural environment, fellow anglers, and other members of the lake community, ethical angling looks to ensure quality fishing for generations to come. The ultimate angling experience goes beyond just the joy and excitement of trying to catch a fish, the beauty of the waters we visit and what we do to maintain that beauty plays a large part in the entire adventure. Not to mention, it is an extremely important responsibility! Ethical anglers use their knowledge and awareness of the environment and the ecosystems they visit to become active in supporting the preservation of our natural resources.
Whether they're regulars on the water, or just visiting for the day, ethical anglers respect the rights of others by taking responsibility for themselves. Ethical behavior includes picking up trash, and never dumping any pollutants, such as gasoline or oil, into the water. The ethical angler values and respects the aquatic environment and all living things in it. Carefully handling and releasing alive all fish they catch but do not intend to keep.
And for even more information and resources related to fishing and boating, head to TakeMeFishing.org and DiscoverBoating.com. To learn more about America's Getting Families Fishing Initiative, head to the Future Angler Foundation.
To get serious about being a safe-n-smart angling boater, take the complete online boating safety course using the link below.
Official Boater Safety Courses
and Boat Safety Education Materials
Recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard, approved by NASBLA and your state boating license agency, and approved by Transport Canada
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/467139389Campgrounds across the country are hitting new attendance records as families are rediscover the fun and family connections made while camping. In addition to sharing stories round the campfire and roasting S’mores (here’s our favorite recipe ), one of the most exciting ways to have fun while camping is to go fishing. And since many campgrounds also offer fishing opportunities, it can be both fun and have an added bonus of feeding the family with a fresh fish dinner… that is IF you know how to catch a fish.
For those campers new to fishing, that big IF can be what stands between you and reeling in your catch. That’s why we’ve included educational videos on this page that offer sensible and simple methods for catching fish. Combining docks with worms, bobbers and bluegills is a simple introduction to freshwater fishing.
Common fish species that can be caught from a dock include, bluegill, sunfish, perch, crappie, catfish, bass (both largemouth and smallmouth). If you’re lucky, some of the bigger predator fish such as northern pike and muskie. That’s why dock fishing can offer an easy, simple and relaxing way to catch fish, especially when using natural live bait like red worms, night crawlers, crickets and minnows.
One of the challenges of fishing from shore or a dock, however, is can be limitations associated with being near a very small area of water. There can also be only one type of fish that inhabit this aquatic ecosystem. To branch out, all you need to do is look out across the water to the other side of a big lake or river, or perhaps take note of how others are catching fish while in boats. By using your imagination, you can easily multiply your chances reeling in a catch almost anywhere on that water, and especially from a boat.
For tips on fishing from a boat, see our Into Family Fishing and Boating and Fishing 102 – From A Boat videos. (video thumbnails are located on the upper right of the page). If you’d really like to dive into some more educational fun about blending fishing, boating and camping, have your teacher use the free lesson activity below. It will really get you and your classroom thinking critically about how campgrounds can work with anglers and boaters to generate more happy campers by creatively developing fishing-boating facilities and activities. Learn more about this topic in the LEARN MORE section below.
You’ll discover in our video library of Getting Families Fishing episodes and the related educational topic videos, fishing and boating are fantastic ways to spend time with family, enjoy the outdoors, AND learn a thing or two along the way about aquatic science and yourself.
Explore the dozens of videos on fishing and aquatic science. These custom videos are designed to be shared with the entire classroom. You’ll also find other educational content, including custom lesson activities, that blend peer-driven learning with hands-on activities. All that’s left will be to catch an actual fish!
For even more information and resources related to fishing and boating, head to TakeMeFishing.org and DiscoverBoating.com. To learn more about America’s Getting Families Fishing Initiative, head over to the Future Angler Foundation.
To get serious about being a safe-n-smart angling boater, take the complete online boating safety course using the link below.
Official Boater Safety Courses
and Boat Safety Education Materials
Recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard, approved by NASBLA and your state boating license agency, and approved by Transport Canada
Are you ready to get Into Family Fishing and Boating?
As you’ll discover in this Into the Outdoors episode and related Into the Outdoors @Home topic videos, fishing and boating are fantastic ways to spend time with family, enjoy the outdoors, AND learn a thing or two along the way.
And for even more information and resources related to fishing and boating, head to TakeMeFishing.org and DiscoverBoating.com
Okay, so there's several great ways to enjoy and share the bass fishing fun and education in this show.
First, you can kick back with family or friends to watch this entire half-hour television episode to get the full content in one sitting. Kinda like enjoying a full course meal. Yum-yum.
Then there's the shorter, custom segments on the noted links below. These are the custom "classroom" or learning videos with some bonus content designed to share with your entire classroom. On these links below you'll also find lots of other educational content, including custom lesson activities for your teacher to take your entire classroom on a three to four day journey of peer-driven learning blended with fun and hands-on pathways to try outdoor pursuits yourself.
Whichever way you decide to enjoy the fun and educational content, it's a win-win way for you to get engaged with pathways to discovering more about yourself and the great outdoors.
For all kinds of other helpful information and resources on how kids can learn where-to and how-to go fishing, explore our companion KidsFishing.US website. To discover more about becoming a future angler, visit our educational partners that helped make this video, webpage and lesson possible.
And if you decide to fish, you really need to get serious about being a safe angler. So take the complete online boating and water safety course using the link below.
Official Boater Safety Courses and Boat Safety Education Materials
Okay, so there's several great ways to enjoy and share the aquatic education and fishing savvy in this show.
First, you can kick back with family or friends to watch this entire half-hour television episode to get the full content in one sitting. Kinda like enjoying a full course meal. Yum-yum.
Then there's the shorter, custom segments on the noted links below. These are the custom "classroom" or learning videos with some bonus content designed to share with your entire classroom. On these links below you'll also find lots of other educational content, including custom lesson activities for your teacher to take your entire classroom on a three to four day journey of peer-driven learning blended with fun and hands-on pathways to try yourself.
Whichever way you decide to enjoy the fun and educational content, it's a win-win way for you to get engaged with pathways to discovering more about yourself and the outdoors.
For all kinds of other helpful information and resources on how kids can learn where-to and how-to go fishing, explore our companion KidsFishing.US website. To discover more about becoming a future angler, visit our educational partners that helped make this video, webpage and lesson possible.
