Fishing for dinner initiative
Wisconsin waters are teeming with hungry fish. Learn how to land one on your dining table for a tasty, healthy meal, harvested from waters close to home.
Northern pike done to perfection by Chef Patrick McKormick.
Attend a class
Watch this page for a listing of classes where adults will learn what they’ve been missing – knot-tying, casting, fish identification and preparing your catch for the table.
Sauk County
| Community: | Baraboo | |
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| Place: | Devil’s Lake State Park | |
| Dates: | Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, June 4-6, 2019 | |
| Times: | 5:30 – 9 p.m. | |
| Target age: | Adults | |
| Description: | Fishing Devil’s Lake:Join us for a community education class at Devil’s Lake State Park near Baraboo. We’ll start at the Rock Elm Shelter to learn more about the lake, the fish that live in it and how to catch them. After some instruction on fishing basics, we’ll head for the lake! Finally, you’ll learn how to cook the catch at our potluck meal on Thursday evening. |
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| Some Particulars: |
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| Registration Deadline: | May 31, 2019 | |
| Registration Contact & Form: | Sue Johansen, Park Naturalist, 608-356-8301 Ext. 140. | |
| Class Info Contact: | Theresa Stabo, Angler R3 Coordinator, 608-577-6332. | |
| Partners: |
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We schedule classes in areas where people have expressed an interest and where we have partners in place to host and help lead the sessions. Watch this site for updates on class offerings, dates and locations.
Eat local – fish
The Farm to Fork concept is growing in popularity and suggests a parallel Pond to Plate companion, whether that “pond” is a stream or a lake – Great, large or small. As far as “food miles” are concerned, most Wisconsinites live within 50 miles of fishable waters that offer many places to catch a healthy and delicious dinner, with a low food-miles score. Sustainability is an important component, so filling the freezer does not fit the model, but savoring that occasional treat from familiar waters does.
Chefs, local foods advocates and community groups have joined us in this project to offer classes. Cleaning and cooking instructions will be part of the mix and we will include information on how to minimize consumption of fish contaminants such as mercury and PCBs.
Sound good to you? Then keep your eyes open and sign up for GovDelivery notifications so you’ll be among the first to know when class registration materials are ready!
Angler R3
The Fishing for Dinner Initiative is an angler recruitment, retention and reactivation program – R3; its primary goal is to lure a new anglers to the water’s edge and encourage them to join us as stewards of Wisconsin’s bountiful fisheries. The focus is on young adults who have an interest in local, sustainably raised food – we hope they will consider the fish they catch as part of a healthy diet.
Become an instructor or mentor for adult beginners
We are also inviting seasoned anglers to mentor young adults (or adults of any age) who may have missed the fishing boat as kids, so lack fishing skills. Mentors will be asked to complete a background check by completing DNR Form 4100-217 [PDF]. Planning is underway for mentor training workshops, so watch this site for workshop notices.