Free Family Fishing Opportunities Available Across Texas

ATHENS – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens has partnered with Fishing’s Future and the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Education Fund to provide convenient fishing education opportunities for families throughout Texas.

The program begins February 26 and will continue through June with a variety of activities. It will host 24 in-person family fishing events through June 25 in each of the six metro areas of Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Huntsville, Lubbock, and in the Rio Grande valley. All fishing equipment and expertise needed for your family to have a successful fishing event during the program is provided through the grant, TPWD, and Fishing’s Future. To ensure safe social distancing, families must register to participate at www.FishingsFuture.org.

“Hooking up with the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center and Take Me Fishing on the George H. W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Educational Fund Grant is a perfect partnership for Fishing’s Future,” said Shane Wilson, CEO and Founder of Fishing’s Future. “Our three organizations are dedicated to increasing the educational knowledge of both young and old. TFFC is staffed with the sharpest minds and their staff brings real-life science and research into play. Fishing’s Future is a national angling educational organization based in Texas with more than 15 years of experience and expertise in teaching families how to fish and spending time in the great outdoors.”

The goals of the program include increasing fishing knowledge, skills and abilities of participating families from Texas metro areas, ultimately increasing participation in fishing. In addition, the program intends to strengthen family bonds and their connections to the outdoors and fisheries resources.

“I hold to the fact that millions want to fish, but don’t know how,” Wilson said. “The Vamos A Pescar Grant functions to introduce and provide knowledge and instruction to increase interest in recreational fishing within the Hispanic Population. My advice is, if you want to learn how to fish and become a lifelong angler, then this program is where you should start."

To teach new skills and prepare families to go fishing on their own, Fishing’s Future and TFFC will host live virtual one-hour workshops. These nightly sessions will take place Monday through Thursday, March 7 through June 17. Topics include fishing knots, lures, and baits, rods, reels, and casting, water safety, fishing regulations and fish habitats. Families can register for these free informative sessions at https://fishingsfuture.org/vamos_a_pescar_2022/.

Additionally, participants can access free online instructional videos developed to provide information on topics ranging from cleaning and cooking fish to purchasing equipment.

“We are excited to be partnering with Fishing’s Future to offer the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar program and reach underserved families across Texas,” Tom Lang, TPWD Inland Fisheries Division Outreach Director said. “This effort provides so many excellent opportunities for families to participate in fishing, develop their fishing skills and knowledge, and of course spend quality time as a family. The utilization of in-person, virtual live workshops, video, and other downloadable content also makes this a very convenient program that can be worked into busy family schedules.”

For more information on George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar Education Fund and educational programs, or to participate, visit the Fishing Future’s website. To learn more about the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, including programs, exhibits and activities available to visitors, check out the TFFC website.