IGFA 2025 Summer Fishing Camps Recap
The International Game Fish Association’s Education Department just finished a spectacular summer filled with multi-day fishing camps and single-day fishing clinics in North Abaco, The Bahamas, and Florida, USA, reaching more than 600 young anglers during June, July, and August.
Fresh back from working with Friends of the Environment (FRIENDS) and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) in the Cooper’s Town community of North Abaco, the Bahamas, 20 young anglers completed three days of fishing camp on August 5-7, 2025. The younger campers focused on spin fishing all week, and the older campers enhanced their skills in fly fishing.
Day 1 consisted of learning the fundamentals in the classroom with ample time spent practicing their cast before fishing in the afternoon. The second day took them into the field to fish from shore and a local government dock, whereas the final day took each group out on the water. The spin fishing group spent the day fishing in the ocean on a local charter boat, where snappers, jacks, and groupers were caught and kept for dinner later on with their families. In contrast, the fly fishing group joined five local guides on flats boats to head into the Marls, where several bonefish were caught and landed on fly before being released. The camp ended with each young angler going home with their certificate of completion and either a spin or fly rod, and a tackle box or fly box filled with the materials needed to keep them fishing.
Thank you to all who made the return of this camp possible, especially FRIENDS and BTT! Next year might take the IGFA to a new community in Abaco to help introduce more local youth to fishing, so stay tuned for more!
Back in Florida, USA, the IGFA modified where we traditionally host our signature Summer Fishing Camp this year, as we partnered with various local cities to bring our specialty fishing camp to their summer schedules. The summer began with two weeks partnering with The City of Sunny Isles at the Sunny Isles Beach Gateway Community Center to host a week of camp focused on the theme of “Natural Bait is Great”, a beginner-style curriculum, followed by a week focused on saltwater fishing with “From Snappers to Sharks” with nearly 30 campers attending each week.
The IGFA then worked with the City of Aventura and a local YMCA chapter to host two weeks of camp at the City of Aventura Community Recreation Center for 30 young anglers. Through the “Bigger, Better, Basser” and “From Snappers to Sharks” themes, the camp exposed the anglers to both freshwater and saltwater fishing opportunities in Miami, Florida.
The IGFA would like to thank all our partners, donors, presenters, volunteers, and educators for helping us put on a successful summer of fishing adventures for so many young, ethical anglers!
The IGFA also hosted a week of camp at the Ronald A. Silver Youth Enrichment Services Center for the City of North Miami Beach. Each of these camps hosted at a local community center introduced new audiences of young anglers to the sport, taught them fundamentals of fishing, took them out on shore fishing excursions and charter boat adventures, and completed the experience by gifting them rods and reels and a tackle box, thanks to our partners at Fish Florida.
Thanks to a donation from the Fleming Family Foundation, 16 youths were able to attend one of the camps hosted by a partnering city on scholarship, as well as another 25 youths from New River Middle School, one of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) of Broward County. These students attended a 3-day specialty camp teaching them in the classroom, taking them freshwater fishing, and chartering them on a boat, many for the first time. During the three days, seven kids caught their first fish, and overall, their skills improved 51% with knot tying and rigging up their rod, improving the most!
Because we could not host a camp for all students in the 21st CCLC program, the IGFA also offered single-day fishing clinics for another 200 students throughout the summer. Each student participated in the program at no cost and went home with a rod and reel thanks to the Fleming Family Foundation. Out of the 200 students who participated, 43 caught their first fish!
Outside of partnering with local Florida city camps and 21st CCLC schools, the IGFA was able to host our Advanced Angling week at the IGFA Headquarters for 30 young anglers. This camp consisted of five days advancing their skills and knowledge of the fishing and boating industry. The camp began with a presentation about advanced fishing techniques and pathways to explore as potential careers by IGFA Ambassador Captain and Lifetime Member, Captain Rick Murphy, from the Florida Insider Fishing Report. Potential world record opportunities were then explored with IGFA’s Angler Recognition Manager, Zack Bellapigna, especially with several Junior Line Class record opportunities opening a few months earlier.
Days 3 and 4 took campers on shore fishing excursions and tours with Merritt's Boat & Engine Works facility to learn the boat-building process and fishing off the dock at Pier Sixty Six Marina, and out on a boat with Living on Island Time.
Any legal fish caught and kept were then utilized for filleting and cooking demonstrations before heading out with The Reward Fishing Fleet where a potential Junior 12 lb. Line Class Record for the little tunny was caught by Henry H. He was guided by IGFA Ambassador and World Record Holder Emily Hanzlik who also taught him how to complete the record application back at the IGFA Headquarters. This record was submitted and is currently pending.
These camps only highlight the work of the IGFA Education Department this summer. For a recap of our Inaugural Kids Fishing Camp in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, generously sponsored by The Terry and Linda Smith Legacy Fund, check out our May 2025 International Angler. We also look forward to sharing the success of our IGFA Reel Into Fishing Camps supported by Dennis Levitt, Nick Smith, and Viking Yachts. Various other fishing camps have been hosted by members of our international network, utilizing their Passports to Fishing kits. Those efforts will be highlighted in another issue of the International Angler, so please stay tuned for more as we work collectively around the world to build the next generation of educated, ethical, and accomplished anglers!
Thank you to the following corporate partners for their generous support!
