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Cub Scout Adventures > 
Bear >
 A Bear Goes Fishing > 
Rod and Reel
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Bear – 3rd Grade
A Bear Goes Fishing
Elective
Requirement 4

Rod and Reel

Bear – 3rd Grade
A Bear Goes Fishing
Elective
Requirement 4

Rod and Reel

Snapshot of Activity

Cub Scouts become familiar with a rod and reel. 

Outdoor
3
5
2
If you want to know more about The Adventure Activity Key click here.
  • Rod and reel fishing pole, one per Cub Scout 
  • 1” washer or fishing practice plugs, one per Cub Scout 
  • 8 – 20” diameter hula hoops 
  • 1 sports cone for every Cub Scout  

Before the meeting: 

  1. Prep the rod and reel fishing pole by removing  any hooks and attaching a 1” washer or practice plug to the end of the line. . 
  2. Identify a safe are free of obstacles for Cub Scouts to practice casting, 
  3. Create a casting area by setting up sports cones in a straight line 6 ft. apart from each other.  
  4. Place the hula hoops in various spots to give Cub Scouts something to aim for when they are casting. 

During the meeting: 

  1. Using your rod, point out the various parts having Cub Scouts follow along on their own rod:

    Butt Cap: Bottom of the handle sometimes made of rubber, sometimes of cork. This is the end you might press into your stomach if you’re fighting a good fish. 

    Handle or Grip: Where you hold the rod; can be made of foam or cork. 

    Reel Seat: This is where your reel gets attached to the rod.  

    Hook Keeper or Keeper Ring: Place to hook your hook so you won’t impale yourself when you’re on the move. 

    Butt: This is the thick part of your rod that closest to the handle. 

    Butt Guide: This is the guide closest to the handle end of your rod. Its located on the thickest part of the rod (butt), that’s why they call it the butt guide. 

    Guides: These are the rings going all the way down the rod, they “guide” the line down the length of rod to the tip. The number, spacing, and size of the guides depend on the kind of rod you are using. But, generally speaking, the more guides the better. A higher quality rod will have at least one guide for every foot of its length (i.e. 6-foot rod should have at least 6 guides). 

    Wrapping: Those wrapping are how the guides get and stay attached to the rod. It’s basically string that gets wound around the foot of the guide and is then painted over with a kind of glossy enamel to protect it.  

  2. Point out the parts of the reel, asking Cub Scouts to follow along with their own reel:

    Reel Body: Housing refers to the main component of a fishing reel. 

    Reel Handle: The handle is rotated by hand to retrieve line back to the rod after making a cast, the handle should be smooth and comfortable to hold. Most reel handles are either round or T-bar shaped and can be operated by either the right or left hand (depending on which socket is used to secure the handle to the reel body). 

    Reel Spool: The spool is the part of a reel that holds the fishing line, but it also plays an important role in casting distance and smoothness.

    Drag Adjustment: The drag adjustment knob looks like a dial and is generally found on the top of the spool. Learn how to set the drag according to the breaking strength of the line.

    Bail: The bail on a spinning reel acts as a gate for the line on the reel spool. When the bail is engaged, fishing line is prevented from unwinding from the spool. When the bail is open, as it would be when casting, it releases line from the spool. During line retrieval, the bail serves to guide fishing line back onto the spool of the reel. 

  3. Allow Cub Scouts to take turns practice casting.

Other Activities Options

You can choose other activities of your choice.

Bear – 3rd Grade

Bamboo Pole

Outdoor
2
3
3

Cub Scouts make their own bamboo fishing pole. 

See Details

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.