(July 2017) Lew’s celebrated the success of its young Mach High School Fishing Product Grant Program recently during a press conference at ICAST, the annual fishing industry trade show held earlier this month in Orlando.

Since the February launch of the new Lew’s program, an initiative which is managed in partnership with the Future Fisherman Foundation, product grant packages consisting of rods and reels have been awarded to more than 60 high school fishing teams across the country.

School teams must apply for the grant online at FutureFisherman.org. Those meeting the criteria specified in the application are eligible for the product grants featuring the popular Lew’s Mach rod and reel combos.

Lew’s also introduced the latest addition to its Mach series while at ICAST 2017 – Mach Crush spinning and baitcast reels and pre-mounted Mach Crush combos. Mach Crush products feature the series’ signature bright orange-color accents that complement their black finishes in an attractive color combination that is sure to be a hit with young anglers across the country.

The Osceola Anglers High School Fishing Team from the Kissimmee/St. Cloud area in central Florida attended the Lew’s ICAST press in representation of high school programs across the country that are taking advantage of and benefiting from the Lew’s product grant initiative.

Pictured are members of the Osceola Anglers High School Fishing Team, Lew’s CEO Gary Remensnyder, Mark Gintert of the Future Fisherman Foundation and Legendary Angler Hank Parker

The Batavia High School Bass Fishing Team recently competed in the IHSA State Bass Fishing Championship on Lake Caryle in Central Illinois. This video highlights their journey along with their Lew’s Product they received through the High School Grant Program.

“We’re so excited to have been awarded one of the Lew’s Product Grants,” Lehigh Valley Coach, Lynn Post, quipped. “This is a terrific program and we can’t thank Lew’s enough for bringing this program to fruition. We took the time to fill out the Lew’s Grant Application on the Future Fisherman Foundation site and we’re thrilled to have been awarded the product grants and they have really helped support our team.”

“One of my team members has been saving to buy himself a new bait caster combo and when he won the Lew’s Mach Combo at our last event he was just thrilled,” Post added.  “We’re also going to raffle off one of the Mach combos at our year end banquet, which will really help us with our funding” Cited Post. “We can’t thank Lew’s enough for all that they have done for fishing teams like ours”.

Get your team involved in the Lew’s Grant Program by going to www.futurefisherman.org or www.Lew’s.com to start the application process now!

The Osceola Anglers High School fishing team in Central Florida is just about the perfect picture of what a high school fishing team looks like. They have grown from their infancy to 28 fulltime members who are very active not only on the lake but also in their community. The team participates in a variety of intra-club events, a High School trail in the Central Florida area and events sponsored by the SAF/FLW and others. The club also has regularly scheduled team meetings that are run by the students to help plan their activities throughout the season.

“Typically, we run fund raisers throughout the year to help fund our year end awards which include Scholarships as well as fishing equipment,” Coach Lamar Chisolm, stated. “This year, with the addition of the Lew’s Grant Program, we can now ensure that all of our team members will receive new tackle and equipment to work with,” Chisolm added. “The team really likes the Lew’s products so receiving the Mach Combo’s is a big highlight for those who earn them.”

The Lew’s Product grants are available to all High School teams throughout the country who apply. Your team can start the process by going to www.futurefisherman.org or www.lews.com. The grant is designed to grow the sport of fishing and rewards teams that are active in their communities, as well as, supports the Keep America Fishing campaign across the country.