South Bend® Teams Up with Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ to Get Newcomers on the Water Fishing and Boating

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a mission to inspire and support newcomers to fishing and boating, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation's (RBFF) Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns together with South Bend® are partnering to make it easier for people to get involved in the sport. Beginning in May 2015, co-branded refill kits from South Bend's Ready2Fish product line will be available in special displays in over 1,000 Walmart® retail stores across the U.S.  According to the 2014 Special Report on Fishing, nearly a third of participants in the sport said that having easier and more affordable access to fishing equipment would motivate them to get out on the water.

"We're excited to partner with South Bend® to offer people everything they need for their first fishing experience," said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. "Our mission is to get more people out on the water discovering the joys of fishing and boating, and we hope people will pick up a Ready2Fish kit, and see how fishing is easy by using the resources on our Take Me Fishing^TM and Vamos a Pescar^TM websites to get their fishing license, learn fishing basics like how to tie knots, find a great place to fish in their area, and learn how important their participation is to local conservation efforts."

South Bend® created the Ready2Fish product line more than 20 years ago to help make fishing affordable, fun and easy for families and weekend anglers. In the new partnership, both South Bend and RBFF hope to reduce some of the barriers to fishing participation including a lack of knowledge about equipment and perceived costs.

"It's a lot easier to get started in fishing than most people think," said Tim Austen, South Bend Product Manager. "We made sure our Ready2Fish kits contain everything people need to start fishing—rod, reel, pre-spooled line, and a tackle box clipped right to the rod. People can literally pick up a kit and be ready to go. And since they start below $20, they are a great value too. If you combine the Ready2Fish kits with all information at people's fingertips on both the Take Me Fishing^TM and Vamos a Pescar^TM websites, there is literally no easier way to get involved in all the fun that fishing has to offer."

TakeMeFishing.org and VamosAPescar.org attracted 9.1 million visits last year, providing visitors with fishing and boating 'how-to' and 'where to' information, state-by-state fishing license and boat registration resources, and much more.

About South Bend
South Bend, a division of Big Game International, has devoted more than a hundred years to creating products that let families and fishing enthusiasts experience the simple joy of fishing, at prices they can afford. Since 1906, South Bend has been a leader in the industry and is best known for offering quality products at an exceptional value to make fishing easy and fun for today's active families and anglers of all ages and skill levels. All South Bend products are designed to reflect its singular heritage: quality tackle since 1906. Today, South Bend continues to offer a comprehensive line of fishing equipment and accessories that anglers and their families can trust and enjoy for many years. For more information about South Bend, please visit www.south-bend.com. For more information about Big Game International, visit www.biggameintl.com.

About the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF)
RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation's aquatic natural resources. RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns to create awareness around boating, fishing and conservation, and educate people about the benefits of participation. Take Me Fishing and Vamos A Pescar help boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan and equip for a day on the water. The campaign websites, TakeMeFishing.org, and VamosAPescar.org, feature how-to videos, information on how to get a fishing license and boat registration, and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots.

Follow Take Me Fishing™, Vamos A Pescar™ and SouthBend® within the social media space:

TAKE ME FISHING.ORG
http://www.facebook.com/takemefishing 
http://www.twitter.com/take_me_fishing 
https://instagram.com/take_me_fishing/

VAMOS A PESCAR.ORG
https://www.facebook.com/VamosAPescar.org 
http://www.twitter.com/Vamos_A_Pescar 
http://www.instagram.com/vamosapescar

SOUTH BEND
https://www.facebook.com/SouthBendFishing?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/SouthBendFish

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150520/217513-INFO

SOURCE Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation

Related Links

http://www.rbff.org