Shaggy’s Angler Camp at USM Marine Education Center

Summer camps are back this year and Shaggy’s Angler Camp is hosting their week-long camp at University of Southern Miss Marine Education Center.

During the summer camp, students in grades 6-12 fish every day with an expert saltwater fishing educational team. Students interact with marine educators and learn saltwater fishing techniques.

Campers also learn fishing basics including cast throwing, pier fishing, and fly-fishing techniques.

Dr. Laura Blackmon, interim associate director at the Marine Education Center, tells News 25 why it’s important for students to learn about the Coastal ecosystem. “A lot of these kids are from the Gulf Coast and they have a little bit of familiarity with the region, the ecosystem. Some kids are from inland and have never gotten to experience that marine fishing experience, but overall, we definitely talk about the research we do to keep a healthy fish population out in the wild. Some of our stocking programs and just the overall why having a healthy ecosystem out there with our fish population is important for us here on land.”

Campers will also learn how weather, wind, moon, and tides impact fishing.