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They’re down there.
They lurk.
. . . and they wait.
But will they bite?
130 kids, 60 parents and a bald eagle hope so during the Military Youth Ice Fishing Jamboree.
Hillberg Lake, with an average depth of 13 feet and a width of only 200 yards,
most people wouldn't think there’s much down there
but they quickly learn that landlocked Chinook salmon and rainbow trout hover just beneath the ice.
And kids catching fish make for some pretty awesome smiles.
Fourteen Fish and Wildlife Service staff partnered with 41 volunteers from Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson
they created an exciting experience for 3 Cub Scout troops on JBER.
Thirty fish were caught by the Scouts and their siblings,
some got released
while the rest were destined for the frying pan.
An underwater video camera added to the excitement of the day –
asthe screen revealed lots of fish just below the 2.5 feet of ice.
Our $5,000 grant to connect people with nature was a huge success,
with 85% of the youngsters indicating they would fish again this year.
In order to keep their new fishing rod, our only request was that they bug their parents to go fishing again.
Fishermen are strongly connected with nature, and they support one of the Nation’s largest conservation efforts
through license sales and the taxes they pay on sporting goods.
Our recruitment and retention efforts from ice fishing contribute to this conservation effort . . .
. . . but in the end
it’s all about connecting children and their families with Alaska’s abundant natural resources.