PARK FALLS, WIS. (April 16, 2026) – Scholastic fishing has exploded across the nation in the past decade. Like other organized high-school sports and programs, high-school fishing nurtures a small percentage of athletes that rise to become stars of the sport. But the real value it creates is compounding the personal growth and fostering the evolving identities of the thousands of young people who participate. Like other sports, high-school fishing helps to create confident and well-adjusted, young human beings.

In most locations, scholastic fishing is not sanctioned by the typical state high-school athletic associations or organizations. High-school fishing programs require unique resources, and setting up and running a program requires special coordination. State-level scholastic-fishing organizations, often volunteer-based not-for-profits, need to operate within a pool of available resources. That includes available species. In most areas of the country, that means bass; it’s where most of the interest and top-down resources lie.

But Wisconsin isn’t like most of the rest of the country. Ice locks lakes for up to six months of the year, and the state’s diverse fisheries are driven by angling interest in walleye, panfish, pike, and musky as much or more than they’re driven by bass.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Fishing Association (WIFA) reflects this and adjusts the opportunities available to member schools and athletes accordingly.

“Some of our WIFA events are bass-specific, but most of our competitions are multispecies,” says Weston, Wisconsin’s Joel DeBoer, a 20-year St. Croix Rod Ambassador, fishing educator, and musky-fishing guide who has coached DC Everest High School’s fishing team since 2012. “We also enjoy a full slate of ice-fishing events and an annual Ice-Fishing State Championship.”

DeBoer says he coaches for a variety of reasons. “There’s some pride there, I guess, being a DC Everest alumnus, myself, but the bigger reason is just knowing what fishing has meant to me personally,” he says. “It’s gotten me through some pretty dark places when I was younger, so I see fishing as a viable, life-shaping avenue for kids. Fishing is a great equalizer. You can come from a rich family, a poorer family, you can be the 4.0 student, or you could be the student that struggles with learning; the fish don’t care. Fishing gets kids both grounded and connected with others who share the passion, and it gets them outside in beautiful places experiencing nature instead of sitting at home staring at their phones.”

DeBoer says his DC Everest program typically sees participation from 50 to 60 kids between grades eight through 12 each season. “It’s like anything though, you know, the number that are truly hardcore is closer to 12,” DeBoer says. “For most of these kids, it’s just getting the opportunity to fish that they wouldn’t have without the program. And we provide them with a lot of opportunities.”

DC Everest’s program runs year ‘round. “There’s really not a not an off time,” says DeBoer. “We host our in-person events throughout the school year and then we hold one over summer in July that we call our Iron Angler. There’s a handful of other schools that are hosting in-person events during the summer, too, so the kids can compete as much as they want.”

WIFA also organizes events including two state championships. “There’s an open-water state championship in early May and an ice-fishing state championship that happens in February, says DeBoer. “These are multi-species events managed through the Fish Donkey app. There’s also a walleye-only tournament this month.”

DeBoer says scholastic fishing coaches share a variety of the same challenges, regardless of their specific programs’ details. “WIFA provides solid, top-down support for our programs, but we rely on a lot of local help to make these opportunities happen for our kids. We always need boat captains and other volunteers.”

Then there’s the challenges of ensuring participants have gear.

“St. Croix Rod and SEVIIN Reels provide valuable support to WIFA, while also making their Scholastic Program available to our individual schools and teams,” says DeBoer, who has taken advantage of the St. Croix Rod Scholastic Program at DC Everest since its inception and recently enrolled in the SEVIIN Reels Scholastic Program as well. “Fishing isn’t getting any cheaper, and these programs make it super easy to get high-quality gear into the hands of our kids who don’t always have a whole lot of income. The fact that these programs exist… it’s so huge for these kids. Access to tournament-quality rods and reels from St. Croix and SEVIIN means they get the chance to not only cut their teeth with really good equipment but actually experience and reap the benefits of its advantages in competition.”

DeBoer says he and his anglers also appreciate their connection to such a historic and well-known fishing brand that is also located in Wisconsin. “It’s wonderful to see any company reach out and be willing to support kids in fishing, but it’s just so cool with us being in Wisconsin and St. Croix and SEVIIN being here in the state, too,” he says. “It’s like a marriage made in heaven, you know? And the really amazing thing is that St. Croix and SEVIIN offer their Scholastic Program to any high-school or college team in the country. That’s truly amazing.” Follow the DC Everest High School Fishing Team on Facebook and Instagram. High School and collegiate fishing coaches and program coordinators can get more information about the St. Croix Rod and SEVIIN Reels Scholastic Programs by emailing [email protected]. Learn more about Coach Joel DeBoer’s guide service on his Facebook and Instagram pages. About St. Croix Rod Headquartered in Park Falls, Wisconsin, St. Croix has been proudly crafting the “Best Rods on Earth” for nearly 80 years. Combining state-of-the-art manufacturing processes with skilled craftsmanship, St. Croix is the only major producer to still build rods entirely from design through manufacturing. The company remains family-owned and operates duplicate manufacturing facilities in Park Falls and Fresnillo, Mexico. With popular trademarked series such as Legend®, Legend Xtreme®, Avid®, Premier®, Imperial®, Triumph® and Mojo, St. Croix is revered by all types of anglers from around the world. The St. Croix Family of Brands includes St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, Rod Geeks, and the St. Croix Factory Store. About SEVIIN Reels Wherever and however you fish, the reel in your hand should help create better experiences. Born from St. Croix Rod’s seven decades of design and manufacturing expertise, industry-leading customer service, and unbroken private ownership by the Schluter family dating back to 1977, SEVIIN reels are meticulously engineered and purpose-built to help anglers conquer every species on every piece of water on the planet. SEVIIN focuses on reels and reels only, designing and marketing products that improve the angling experience, regardless of the rods anglers choose. Seven seas, seven continents, seven days a week, SEVIIN reels are fueled by a collective love of fishing surpassed only by a passion to deliver the most reliable reels on the water. The St. Croix Family of Brands includes St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, St. Croix Fly, Rod Geeks, and the St. Croix Factory Store.