Keefer, Nevaeh and Hadley left Kahoa Elementary School this spring with a true fishing tale that they could tell their families.

The fourth graders hauled in a handful of stuffed fish with safe hook-style velcro magnets in their physical education class. They cast their lines into Kahoa Lake – a blue tarp spread across the gym floor – and tried to catch as many types of freshwater and saltwater species as possible. They smiled afterward as they displayed the animals they had reeled in from the water.

Hadley said she liked the sense of accomplishment she felt from flip casting for fish. She and other Cougars flipped their lines into the water with an underhand toss rather than a traditional overhand approach.

“I usually do overhand cast, but I learned how to do flip casting today,” Hadley said. “I like fishing and I like how my teacher showed me how to do it.”

Walter also said he enjoyed the challenge of trying to catch fish that were “swimming” in different parts of the lake. The flip-casting exercise was part of a P.E. class that featured three activity rotations. When students weren’t trying to land muskie or walleye in Kahoa Lake, they chipped balls into a net with plastic golf clubs and climbed a wall in the gym.

“Last week we started learning about fishing,” Walter said. “I like the casting part of it to try to get it close to the fish.”

Kahoa physical education teacher Eric Vacek has led students like Keefer, Nevaeh, Hadley and Walter in fishing activities since 2012. He was inspired by the Lincoln-based National Fishing in Schools Program, which provides a detailed “Cast a Lure, Catch A Student” (CALCAS) series for teachers across the country. The CALCAS lessons incorporate physical education, science, technology and language arts materials.

Vacek said flip casting has been one of his favorite activities for children because of the many benefits they gain from it. The Cougars improved their hand-eye coordination, polished their teamwork and communication skills and left the lakefront more confident about trying new things.

“What I like about this lesson in particular is that it’s so mechanically engaging,” Vacek said. “When you get that fishing rod and reel in their hands, they’re focused and they really practice well. Then you get into the rhythm and art of casting accurately, and that takes their level up even higher. Their focus and engagement and intensity is just off the charts.”

Vacek began the lesson by explaining to students why flip casting is a good fishing technique. He told them the underhand motion creates a smaller and more natural splash in the water, which helps prevent fish from being frightened. It often leads to a more accurate cast in close quarters, and it reduces the risk of a fishing hook accidentally hitting someone in a boat or along a shoreline.

“In volleyball, you have different kinds of shots,” Vacek said. “It’s the same for fishing. In fishing, you have different types of casts you can use.”

Vacek gathered everyone in a circle and showed them how their magnetized hooks – which were shaped like friendly frogs and baby fish – would latch onto their targets. He then asked a fourth grader to show her classmates how they could use a net to trap a fish while their partners reeled it in. Vacek slowly pulled the fish toward her before she swooped the net across the animal.

Hadley said that type of in-depth instruction is why she likes taking classes at Kahoa.

“Everybody’s nice here,” Hadley said. “I like the teaching.”

Vacek said students in his classes often have partners to reinforce the importance of teamwork. Sometimes, Cougars can pick who they work with on an activity, and sometimes Vacek matches people together to ensure they have new experiences.

One student came up to Vacek with an excited expression after he and his partner collected multiple fish. He said it was fun to learn about the benefits of cooperation in real time.

“He told me that his partner was better at casting and he was better at netting, so they made a good team,” Vacek said. “I was like, ‘Exactly.’ It’s a good realization to discover with a partner that you don’t normally work with.”

The fishing opportunity also showed students how to accomplish a goal. Three groups of fishing partners shared time at Kahoa Lake in each ten-minute session. After their time was up, they counted the number of fish they had caught for a combined three-team total.

Keefer, Nevaeh and Hadley joined two other teams midway through the class. They learned that the morning’s previous record total was 17, and they became determined to surpass that mark. All three groups cheered when Vacek reported they had snagged 22 fish together.

Vacek teaches the basic mechanics of fishing to students in younger grades during the spring. He adds Kahoa Lake to the mix for fourth and fifth graders, giving them additional challenges and lessons.

Vacek said it is rewarding to set the Cougars up for success when they cast for fish in real lakes, rivers and streams one day.

“I just had a student come up to me today and say that he wants to go fishing this summer,” Vacek said. “That’s our ultimate goal right there in physical education. It’s to teach them things that they can take with them for the rest of their lives.”

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Cougars reel in enriching lessons by flip casting for fish at Kahoa Lake