Spreading angling education and promoting the growth of fishing and boating.
An important milestone in aquatic education took place July 28, 2018, in Indianapolis, Indiana, at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park. Fishing’s Future, a national 501(c)(3) organization, celebrated and recognize its 1,000,000th participant attending an angling education Family Fish Camp. Fishing’s Future was founded by Shane Wilson in 2007 to reconnect families to nature and strengthen family bonds and relationships. He is now the company’s president.
“I never dreamed of reaching 1,000,000 individuals when I started Fishing’s Future,” Wilson said. “I am excited and humbled to have helped so many share in the joy of the natural world through an educational program that gets families outdoors and fishing.”
Wilson grew up in central Indiana and began fishing at an early age. His fondest memories were of spending time with his grandfather fishing after church and on family fishing vacations. As he grew, he noticed that as the pace of society accelerated, quality family time declined. Technology, double income homes and many other factors all played a role in decreasing the time that parents were spending with their children. To counter this trend, Fishing’s Future was founded to create quality fishing opportunities coupled with solid fundamental angling education.
The sole focus of Fishing’s Future is angling education. Interest in the sport naturally grows with education and exposure. To paraphrase an old saying, “Give a kid a fish, feed him for a day … teach him to fish with his family and they’ll create a lifetime of memories together.”
The mission of Fishing’s Future is to:
- Strengthen family bonds
- Reconnect families with nature
- Engage environmental stewardship
- Increase recreational fishing
The organization’s success it built on volunteerism and the dedicated individuals who love the sport of fishing and are willing to nurture that passion in others. By opening new chapters in different communities, Fishing’s Future has spread across America and has established a footprint in the United Kingdom.
Local individuals who wish to join Fishing’s Future and open a new chapter must first become a certified volunteer within their home state and pass a background check. Interested individuals should visit www.fishingsfuture.org or the Fishing’s Future Facebook page for more information.
“This accomplishment did not happen by mistake”, states Wilson. “We have hundreds of volunteers who spend thousands of hours in preparation, holding events and cleaning up after an event only to go out and do it again. Sponsors like Zebco, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, Seaguar, Magic Bait, SunSect, AFTCO, Eagle Claw, Plano, Temple Fork Outfitters, Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Bass Pro Shops, Tenkara USA, Comal Tackle, Buff, Pure Fishing, and a host of independent bait and tackle shops across the country, along with countless donations from individuals and families have allowed Fishing’s Future to flourish in its mission over the past 11 years.”
“Reaching our one millionth angler could never have happened if not for the generosity and commitment to give back to others what was once received from someone else — the gift of fishing.”
For more information email shane@fishingsfuture.org
