After four hours of fishing and no catches, junior Mack Dempsey’s boat engine broke down on Lake Erie during a 2023 trip. He thought he would return empty-handed. 

But while his dad was out buying a spare part, Dempsey’s luck changed.

“While he was gone, my brother and I used the trolling motor and caught some huge ones right by the docks,” Dempsey said.

For students who enjoy fishing adventures or are interested in learning the sport, Baldwin has reintroduced a school fishing club.

Junior Gavin Sakely was the driving force in bringing the club back. He had seen other schools with fishing clubs.

“My dad showed me a post of other schools around us participating in high school fishing tournaments,” Sakely said. “That gave me the idea to try and get one at Baldwin.”

Sakely introduced the idea for the Baldwin Fishing Club to Principal Shaun Tomaszweski last year, with Dempsey’s help. The principal liked the idea, and the students got to work on planning the club. The first meeting was held in February.

Years ago, Baldwin had a fishing club that eventually expanded into a national program. Called Family Tyes, it was run by former teachers Chuck McKinney and Paul Hindes and focused on fly fishing.

“Those two guys brought so much to the club that it was hard to maintain without them. It lasted maybe a few more years, and due to lower interest, it eventually was over,” said math teacher Bryan Black, who helped with that program. 

Today, Baldwin’s new fishing club hopes to provide opportunities for young people to connect and make new memories. The club has already traveled to Peters Creek and stocked it with fish, and it will return to the Creek in the future to fish.

“The whole idea is that the club is for people who like to fish, for people who go fishing, or for people who are just interested in maybe starting fishing,” history teacher and club sponsor Joseph Geyer said. “I didn’t expect the turnout we had. It was about 40 students who came to the first meeting,” he said.

Contrary to stereotype, it wasn’t just guys showing up at meetings and events, Geyer said. Some female students have also shown interest, including freshman Emily Caldwell.

“When I was 9 or 10, my grandfather took me up to their trailer park camp for the summer, and he taught me how to fish,” Caldwell said. 

Caldwell said that at times, guys who fish discredit her abilities by assuming she is a beginner. She believes the club is a good way to get more girls interested in the sport.

“If you like to be outside, this is a great thing,” Cladwell said. “Don’t just not do it because there are more guys in the club. If you like doing this, you should join because it’s fun and you will enjoy yourself,” she said.

While some may view catching fish for sport or food as controversial, for many people who fish, the sport is a generational activity that allows them to connect with family and friends.

Sophomore Aiden Robinson was taught to fish by his dad and grandfather around 4 years old.

“Nothing beats waking up with your grandfather early in the morning, walking to your spot, falling in the mud, and laughing about it later,” Robinson joked. 

Junior Ethan Helbling’s dad taught him to fish when he was around 5. 

“I for sure like fishing with my dad the most, but I always have a good time when going with friends,” Helbling said. 

These fishing trips also create great memories – and fish stories. Helbling and his father had an adventure one time while beach fishing.

“He left his pole to go to the bathroom and told me to watch it. As soon as he left, a massive fish hooked onto the line, and I had to fight it off to make sure it did not get away,” Helbling said. “When he got back, he ended up reeling it in, and it was a shark.”

For Sakely, the memory of a special catch stands out.

“My favorite memory is when I caught a golden trout at my buddy’s camp,” he said. “It was my biggest trout I had ever caught, and the fact it was a golden trout (known as a Palomino) made it even more special.”

Caldwell’s first catch was out of the ordinary.

“The first thing I caught was with my dad, and it was a snapping turtle that almost took his finger off, which is my favorite fishing memory,” she said.

Robinson had a successful day in a distant location.

“My favorite fishing memory is fishing in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, catching red grouper, and later having them for dinner,” Robinson said.

High school fishing clubs help with the environment and raise awareness of conservation issues, according to Robert Plumb, a regional captain with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s law enforcement bureau.

“High school clubs have done the Trout in the Classroom Program,” in which students raise trout from eggs then release them, Plumb said. School clubs throughout the state also have participated in restoration projects and stocking programs, he said.

 “The clubs introduce our kids to conservation, which is very important for our streams and wildlife,” Plumb said.

Besides the adrenaline rush of having a fish on the line, fishing is a great way for families to connect and for people to relieve some stress.

Plumb also enjoys the benefits of fishing.

“I have taken my kids out to teach them how to fish,’ Plumb said. “It’s a nice activity and gets them away from the TV set.”

Geyer, meanwhile, has fished almost his entire life. He first started with his Pap when he was 4, and now frequently takes his son fishing. His experience and enjoyment of the sport is why he decided to sponsor the club.

“Fishing is great because one day you’re going to look back on those relatives who passed away and have all those memories of fishing with them,” Geyer said.