Schuelke enjoys time with Bass Brigade

Fly fishing, raft building, electro fishing, and Fish anatomy. If these things pique your interest, then Bass Brigade Summer Camp is the place for you. Bass Brigade is part of the Texas Brigades, which is a non-profit organization founded in 1993.

Texas Brigades has three different learning opportunities which include: the W.I.L.D. program for college students, one-day experiences for kids ages 9-17, and summer camps for ages 13-17.

This past summer, Xavier Schuelke was part of the 17th battalion of the Bass Brigade. At camp, they learned how to identify the different species of fish in Texas. They also learned how to test different water qualities like dissolved oxygen and pH so we can make sure our aquatic ecosystems are happy and healthy. Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists gave students a demonstration on how to safely and effectively use electro fishing to collect data and let us try it for ourselves.

Schuelke is a home-schooled high school softball from Lockhart.

“My favorite activity was learning how to tie our own flies for fly fishing,” Schuelke said. “We also met Mr. Gary Kline, the co-founder of Major League Fishing. Mr. Kline brought his personal boat and showed us his top-of-the-line equipment. But what I value most from my time at camp are the relationships I have made with other campers from all over the state, as well as the instructors that run the camp. I strongly believe that these lasting relationships will help me achieve my goals of working in the wildlife field.”

For more information on Bass Brigade and the 8 other camps Texas Brigades offers check out our website www.texasbrigades.org or contact us at info@texasbrigades.org. Applications open Nov. 1.