Take Me Fishing™ and Team USA Bring Attention to the Growing Winter Sport of Ice Fishing

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation's (RBFF) Take Me Fishing™ campaign is bringing attention to the growing winter sport of ice fishing, and congratulates Team USA for taking fourth place at this year's World Ice Fishing Championship (WIFC) held February 16 - 17, 2013 near Wausau, Wisconsin. The new WIFC/Take Me Fishing™ partnership comes in conjunction with the expansion of ice fishing content on TakeMeFishing.org, where members from the award-winning team share personal tips and tricks for the sport that they've participated in all of their lives.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130219/NE62642 )

"We look forward to the continued success of Team USA and are proud to have their knowledge and expertise demonstrated throughout TakeMeFishing.org. It is partnerships like these that inspire everyday anglers to get out there and enjoy the sport of fishing even during the winter months," said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson.

The WIFC took place on the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, bringing competitors from 12 countries, and hundreds of spectators to cheer on their home team. Overall, the U.S. team took fourth, after winning the gold medal in 2010 and finishing 11th last year in Kazakhstan. The top U.S. finisher was Chad Schaub of Michigan who won his section and placed third overall. The WIFC also brought a tremendous amount of domestic and international attention to the growing winter sport of ice fishing. 

Just because the WIFC is officially a thing of the past doesn't mean that the 2012/13 ice fishing season is over. Anglers can be found on the ice until mid- to late March and can continue honing their skills with research of the waters during the spring and summer months. 

"Ice Fishing is a year-round passion. Those interested in the sport spend time off the ice learning and researching and gearing up for those months when Mother Nature makes our passion possible," said U.S. Team Captain Mike McNett. "In addition, we feel privileged to be working with such a coveted resource like Take Me Fishing that provides all levels of anglers with the ins and outs of the sport we love so much."

TakeMeFishing.org provides ice fishing know-how from videos on the best rods and reels, to blog posts about glow-in-the-dark lures. Hear expert tips from the USA Ice Team, learn to identify where on the lake to carve the best hole, how to use a tip-up and of course, when the ice thickness is safe enough for a group of friends.

Take Me Fishing strives to increase overall awareness of the need to protect, conserve and restore the nation's aquatic resources by encouraging participation in recreational boating and fishing. These efforts impact conservation efforts throughout the country. Since 2007, the campaign has generated nearly $33 million for state conservation efforts.

For more information about ice fishing visit TakeMeFishing.org.

About Recreational Boating and 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 helps people discover, share and protect the legacy of boating and fishing through the Take Me Fishing™ campaign.

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SOURCE Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, Take Me Fishing(TM)