Home > Programs > Cub Scouts > Pack Meeting Resources > Theme: Fishing
Theme:
Fishing
Snapshot of Pack Fishing
Fishing is one of the most popular outdoor activities for Cub Scout age youth, girls and boys. This meeting resource is for a pack meeting that is at a fishing location. The focus of this adventure is safety and responsible fishing practices, not proficiency. It is recommended to conduct this pack meeting during the weekend to allow for flexibility in scheduling and enable more family members to participate.
- Lion, Tiger, and Wolf Cub Scouts do not have a time requirement for how long they must go fishing. This is to ensure that it is a positive experience based on the age groups and their attention spans.
- Bear Cub Scouts are required to fish for at least 30 minutes. This is designed to teach patience for this sport and increase their likelihood of catching a fish.
- Webelos and Arrow of Light are required to fish for at least 60 minutes.
Safety Moment
Prior to any activity, use the Scouting America SAFE Checklist to ensure the safety of all those involved.
All participants in official Scouting America activities should become familiar with the Guide to Safe Scouting and applicable program literature or manuals.
Be aware of state or local government regulations that supersede Scouting America practices, policies, and guidelines.
To assist in the safe delivery of the program you may find specific safety items that are related to requirements for the Adventure.
Before starting this Adventure complete the following:
- Review content about fishing on Scouting.org.
- Check state requirements for fishing licenses or permits for youth and adults.
- Secure additional adult supervision that can assist Cub Scouts during the activity.
- Get permission to fish where you plan to fish.
- Check the weather before you go. Do not fish in a thunderstorm or inclement weather.
- If fishing in freshwater, review Fishing Basics PowerPoint presentation and Instructor’s Guide to teach freshwater fishing.
- Additional fishing resources can be found at Scout Life Magazine.
During the Adventure:
- Use the buddy system.
- Give plenty of room to others who are fishing nearby.
- Never fish where people are swimming.
Once you know your local fishing rules and regulations, here are the 6 things to know to keep you and others safe:
- Fish with proper adult supervision.
- Get permission to fish where you plan to fish.
- Check the weather before you go. Do not fish in a thunderstorm or inclement weather.
- Use the buddy system. You must be able to see them.
- Give plenty of room to others who are fishing nearby.
- Never fish where people are swimming.
Before starting this Adventure, review Digital Safety and Online Scouting Activities.
Before the Meeting
This meeting will take place at a location where Cub Scouts and family members can fish. Make sure the location has space for everyone to fish.
Confirm any adults who plan to fish and check with local state laws to see who is required to have a fishing license. Most states do not require Cub Scout-age youth to have a license, but most states require that adults do. Securing a fishing license may be as easy as going to a local retailer/outfitter store to purchase one.
Contact your state agency that is responsible for regulating fishing and ask to have a representative meet your pack at your fishing location to conduct a presentation about the location, the types of fish they may find there, the type of environment each species of fish at that location live in, and what type of bait works best for the different types of species they will be fishing for that day.
Check with families to make sure that everyone has access to a fishing pole. Determine as a Pack if the pack will provide bait or if each individual is responsible for bringing their own.
It is best to communicate details in a written form that is distributed to parents and legal guardians, and referred to often, as this will help ensure everyone is well informed and prepared.
- 30 days before the meeting, confirm access to the meeting location.
- 30 days before the walk, confirm date, time, and location.
- At the Pack Committee or Parents’ Meeting before the Pack Meeting, make assignments using the Fishing pack meeting planner.
- Purchase supplies, including Adventure loops and pins.
- 7 days before the meeting, send out a meeting reminder.
- 3 days before the meeting, send out a second meeting reminder.
- The morning of the meeting, send out a third meeting reminder.
- Remind everyone to bring their fishing gear, camp chair, and Cub Scout Six Essentials.
- On the day of the meeting, get to the location early to mark out fishing areas.
- Set Up Den Meeting Breakouts.
- Set Up Activity Stations.
At Home Requirements
Send a reminder for everyone to bring their fishing gear, a camp chair, and Cub Scout Six Essentials.
During The Meeting
Pack Meeting Gathering Activity
As Cub Scouts arrive, have a check-in station and have someone check their fishing gear.
Divide the group into four groups to move about the stations. Give any needed explanations about each station and demonstrate how they will know it’s time to move to the next station (bell, whistle, bullhorn etc.) and which direction to rotate to the next station. Assign each group to a station to start. Have each group spend about 15 minutes at each station before moving on to the next.)
Note: If using this activity as a recruiting event, welcome any visitors and point out and introduce a parent or leader who can answer any questions about Cub Scouting during the event. Also, be sure to have some basic pack information to hand out to potential families and a simple method to collect contact information from them. Encourage them to join online at BeAScout.org and make sure to invite them to the next activity/meeting.
Opening Ceremony and Remarks
Opening Remarks
“Welcome to our Pack’s fishing trip! As we gather today, we want everyone to have fun and learn about fishing, and hopefully, some of you will catch the big one. First, we have a guest speaker who will share information about our location and the fish we might catch, then we will rotate through four stations, and then everyone will have a chance to fish.”
Give directions on den breakouts/den meetings.
Den Break Outs
No Den Break Outs for this meeting.
Guest Speaker
Gather the Cub Scouts and family members and introduce the guest speaker. This will meet the following requirements.
Tiger Rank
Activities and Requirements
With your den or Tiger adult partner, identify the body of water where you will go fishing.
Wolf Rank
Activities and Requirements
Identify the type of water you will be fishing in and what type of fish live in the water.
Bear Rank
Activities and Requirements
Learn about three types of fish in your area.
Learn about your local fishing regulations with your den leader or an adult.
List three of the regulations you learned about, and one reason each regulation exists.
Webelos Rank
Activities and Requirements
Make a plan to go fishing. Determine where you will go and what type of fish you plan to catch.
Arrow of Light Rank
Activities and Requirements
Make a plan to go fishing. Determine where you will go and what type of fish you plan to catch.
Activity Stations
Set up four activity stations, each station is led by an adult who has been given the resources ahead of time to prepare for the activity or activities. Cub Scouts rotate to each station either by den or mulit-rank dens. Each station has an activity for each Cub Scout rank.
Station 1
Equipment and Casting
Activities and Requirements
Lion Den - Req. 1
Tiger Den - Req. 1
Wolf Den - Req. 3, Req. 4
Bear Den - Req. 4
Webelos Den - Req. 4
AOL Den - Req. 4
Station 2
Fish Drawing S.A.F.E.
Activities and Requirements
Lion Den - Req. 2
Tiger Den - Req. 3
Wolf Den
Station 3
Hook and Bait
Activities and Requirements
Lion Den
Tiger Den
Wolf Den
Bear Den - Req. 5
Webelos Den – Req. 5
AOL Den - Req. 5
Station 4
Go Fishing
Activities and Requirements
Lion Den - Req. 3
Tiger Den - Req. 4
Wolf Den - Req. 5
Bear Den - Req. 6
Webelos Den – Req. 7
AOL Den - Req. 7
Bear at least 30 minutes Webelos at least 60 minutes Arrow of Light at least 60 minutes
Presentations and Ceremonies
When everyone has completed their fishing, they have earned their Adventure. There is no presentation nor ceremony.
Cubmaster Minute
“Who here has told a fish story? I know I have. Around the campfire, we laugh as the fish get bigger, the rapids rougher, and the bears taller. We know it’s all in fun.
But not all fish stories are funny. Some are lies—what I call minnows and whoppers.
Minnows are the “little white lies” that seem harmless. Maybe you say you did your good turn today,
even if you didn’t. No big deal, right?
But every minnow makes it easier to tell a bigger lie. And those whoppers can hurt others—and yourself.
A Scout is trustworthy. So stick to the truth. Because minnows have a way of growing into whoppers.”
Remind everyone of the next pack meeting or activity.
If this were a recruiting activity, follow up with new families with a phone call.
