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
Could you survive this gauntlet of physical and mental tests? Discover the answers by watching the four parts of this science show and reading the information below. And to take this learning adventure into your classroom, have your teacher download the free Lesson Activities at the bottom of this page so everyone can share in the fun of this inquiry based learning.
Better grab your energy bars, extra water, sunblock and adventure gear if you hope to keep up with our ITO kids as they embark on one of the biggest adventures of their lives in The Amazing Eco-Trek Race. Josh, Caroline, Emma, and Jacob begin a gauntlet of physical and mental tests where they are scored on how they face challenges in four environments across Wisconsin. From paddling, to caving, to Hunger Games archery, and biking, they discover new things about their physical limitations while learning many of nature’s secrets in some wild places. Their amazing race offers some unexpected twists and turns as fear, doubt, and fatigue creep into the competition. See who makes it to the finish line and what they learned along their remarkable journey.
To see why someone would want to Become an Archery Superhero, or, try their own style of Hunger Games, check out this video and website from our science education friends at Untamed Science... http://www.untamedscience.com/become-archer-superhero/
When you're ready to take your own eco-challenges, have your teacher download one of the free classroom Lesson Guides below that go with this video adventure! (Unlike many of our Lesson Guides, this series is meant to be used with the 4 Parts of the main video and they do not have their own individual Serious Science videos.)
Plus, the educational partner noted below supported the video content here for all of us to learn about safety in the outdoors.
Learn how to safely navigate and trek the Ice Age Trail as you explore how the past impacts the present. Discover tips and tools for a learning adventure that will boost your health and your brain.