Student Angler Organization

05/21/2026

Before the lines hit the water……..

Rules Meeting TONIGHT at 7PM❗️

🎥Join us via Zoom or Facebook Live from the Lund Virtual Fishing Page🎥

05/20/2026

The countdown is almost over……4 DAYS until our first LVFL tournament of the year❗️

Join us THIS Sunday as we kick off our 2026 tournament season☑️

Don’t miss out on the fun - REGISTER HERE for the 2026 season: https://www.studentangler.org/2026-registration.html

AND sign up on the FishDonkey app in "Youth Lund Virtual Fishing" to participate in the event!

05/01/2026

Let's get reel, moms! We're excited about the fourth year of the Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge. 🎣
Join the Minnesota DNR, Student Angler Organization, and Women Anglers of Minnesota for a free virtual fishing challenge May 9-10, just for moms in Minnesota during Take a Mom Fishing Weekend.
This year, like every year on Mother’s Day weekend, all moms across Minnesota can fish for free without a license.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
The challenge will take place in the Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge 2026 Facebook group from Saturday, May 9 at 12:00 AM until Sunday, May 10 at 11:59PM. To participate, join this facebook group and during that window, submit one photo of each fish you catch. All species and sizes welcome. Snap a photo and let your fish go or keep it for dinner (bag limits and regulations apply).
PRIZES:
All moms who post a picture of their fish in this group between May 9-10 will be entered to win prizes provided by the Student Angler Organization and their partners. When the challenge concludes, names of winners will be posted in the challenge group so they can claim their prizes.
Prizes are based on participation only, and winners will be selected in a random drawing. Whether you enter one fish or five fish, four inches or 40 inches, you’ll have the same chance to win as everyone else. This challenge is for fun and to get Minnesota moms out on the water to enjoy fishing.
PRE-CHALLENGE FISHING WEBINARS
All participants are invited to tune in for a free pre-challenge webinar to get tips and tricks from women who are expert anglers. The class will be hosted by Women Anglers of Minnesota in this Facebook group, covering topics like gear, set-ups and techniques to get you started. Webinar attendees will have the chance to win a free annual membership to Women Anglers of Minnesota. Details will be posted in the group.

09/08/2024

What an amazing day our anglers had. We had approx. 300 anglers compete today for our Lund Virtual Fishing League Fall Fling. They were competing for $10,000 in Cash Scholarships, $5,000 in Scheels Gift Cards, Two Lifetime Mn DNR Fishing license's from RLVNT, along with Lund, and Bagley/Northland Gift Cards.

23 seniors that graduated this year were also competing for a birth into the Classic Bass Champions Tour 25 Season where all three entry fees will be paid, and the Student Angler Organization will provide $2,000 Cash for expenses. Thank you Scott and Nancy Bonnema for the idea and support.

We will announce winners of the Scholarships and Champ Tour Stairway to Success tomorrow, but needless to say our first place angler was signed up for that one. The Gapinski Team had an eye popping 7 fish total of 39.2 pounds and an average of 5.60 pounds with a 6.86 pound kicker off of Mille Lac's Lake.

09/08/2024

We are live for our Fall Fling and the anglers are already catching them. The Lund Virtual Fishing League will be awarding $10,000 in CASH scholarships, $5,000 in Scheels gift cards, two MN Lifetime Fishing licenses from RLVNT, and prizes from Lund, Bagley/Northland. Total over $17,000 today.

And to top that off one lucky 24’ graduating senior will win a spot in the coveted 25 Classic Bass Chamions Tour events with entries paid and $2,000 to cover expenses for the year.

09/05/2024

Please join us tonight at 7pm for our Lund Virtual Fishing League Fall Fling rules meeting. We will discuss all the qualifications for the $10,000 in scholarships as well as the opportunity for '24 graduated seniors compete for a no fee entry into all the Classic Bass Champions Tour events for 2025. Plus the Student Angler Organization will be throwing in $2,000 for expenses to the top '24 graduated senior. We also have $5,000 in Scheels gift cards to give away.

We will be live on the Lund Virtual Fishing League FB page and zoom at the link below.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89477879668

Registration is open until noon on Saturday. ANYONE can join us by downloading and opening the Reel LiveWell app

05/07/2024

I had a great meeting with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to discuss expanding our Bass Season. My intent was to find out if there was more we could do, or how do we move forward, and help eliminate any road blocks if there were any.

As I mentioned they are totally about data. What many of us forget, including me, is the data is just not biology. The Biology data shows that Minnesota Bass is one of the strongest Bass Fishing systems probably in the Country. But as mentioned many other data factors like will the Parks and Recreation be required to put docks out earlier, how will it affect the Conservation Officers, what do other states like WI think about the change they made and much more.

I also wanted to know if we were up against a clock that we did not want to miss, or is there more information that is needed.

The commitment coming out of the meeting was to create a timeline and share it with the Bass Workgroup and myself. This will have dates for meetings with the other parties, when do you need info for the printed rules, talking to other states, and when would Brad Parsons, and Dave Olfelt present all the data with a recommendation to Commissioner Sarah Strommen. With opener and other things happening the commitment is to have that within the next two months, hopefully in June. Once we have that timeline, we will be allowed to share it with everyone on here.

This whole thing is a process and I continue to learn from it and greatly appreciate the time from the DNR Commissioner, Director of Fish and Wildlife, DNR Fisheries Chief, and the Assistant DNR Commissioner.

I have a passion around helping to make this happen and they appreciate, and see that passion. I am confident that it will now be moving along, but I also understand that when all the data is in, it may not make sense for three months of additional open season. I am hopefully optimistic, but that is the way I am.

Thank you for all the team in the Bass Workgroup, and for Eric pulling it all together. When they said they did not need any more help, it was because what we presented around the biology and they had everything they need plus more.

04/27/2024

Let's get reel, moms! Welcome back to another year of the Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge 2024. 🎣

Join the Minnesota DNR, Student Angler Organization, and Women Anglers of Minnesota for a free virtual fishing challenge May 11-12, just for moms in Minnesota during Take a Mom Fishing Weekend.

This year, like every year on Mother’s Day weekend, all moms across Minnesota can fish for free without a license.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
The challenge will take place in this Facebook group from Saturday, May 11 at 12:00 AM until Sunday, May 12 at 11:59PM. During that window, submit one photo of each fish you catch. All species and sizes welcome. Snap a photo and let your fish go or keep it for dinner (bag limits and regulations apply).

PRIZES:
All moms who post a picture of their fish in this group between May 11-12 will be entered to win prizes provided by the Student Angler Organization and their partners, including gift cards for SCHEELS and Lund. An admin will message winners on Facebook after the challenge.

FISHING 101:
All participants are invited to tune in for a pre-challenge virtual Fishing 101 on Tuesday, May 7. The class will be hosted by Women Anglers of Minnesota in this Facebook group, covering topics like gear, set-ups and techniques to get you started. Fishing 101 attendees will have the chance to win a free annual membership to Women Anglers of Minnesota.

04/26/2024

Lund Virtual Fishing League registration is open. Just use the ReelLivewell App.

The wait is over! Registration for the first Lund Virtual Fishing League event on Sunday, May 26th is officially open!

The registration process for the Lund VFL will take place within the “Reel Livewell” App. Please make sure you have the latest version of the app. Our recommendation is to delete the app from your phone, and re-download the current version from the Apple or Google Play stores.

You can view a video for instructions at https://www.studentangler.org/2024-registration.html, or don't be shy, just give it a try. You’ll find the Lund VFL event in the “Upcoming Events” section within the app. You can search for the key word “Lund” as events increase to make it easier. Click on the event and it will walk you through the registration process. It will ask you to enter the data for both registered anglers. Always be sure that you have correct cell phone numbers for both anglers. Registration fee is $40, and once you pay through PayPal, both cell phone numbers and the email address entered will immediately receive your team’s PIN for that event. Yes, you heard correct, no more waiting for PINs! Our recommendation is to take a screen shot, create a album for VFL in your photos, and keep all registrations PINs there.

One final improvement that we made is allowing teams to take photos from within the Reel Livewell app. You do not need to have the TimeStamp app for Lund VFL events going forward. All work, registration and photos will be done right within the app. How cool is that?

We look forward to seeing you and your team at this and future events this season!

Tight Lines!

Lund Scheels RLVNT Classic Bass Blackfish Bagley Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

03/20/2024

We have all been waiting for this one. The video from the Pro/Am event last year where the Student Angler Organization paired up with the great people at Classic Bass to bring a true Pro/Am event.

The anglers that marshaled for the Champions Tour events were given the opportunity to fish with a Pro for a combined weight using the Reel Livewell App in a Catch Record Release format.

We will again be partnering with Classic Bass for another stand alone Pro/Am event on world famous Mille Lacs lake.

Student Anglers can sign up for this years Champions Tour events at https://www.studentangler.org/champions-tour.html Students that marshal three events will have priority for the coveted spots in the Pro/Am event. Am's will be fishing for $9,00 in Cash Prizes for this event. With top Am taking home $3,500 cash.

https://youtu.be/i-ScrTwYZyI

The Classic Bass Champions Tour is back in action to showcase a first of it's kind event. A Pro-Am format where we m...

03/16/2024

Mathew and Jonathan Waschek stopped by the Lund Virtual Fishing League booth to thank us for the MN Lifetime Fishing Licenses they won at our Fall Fling compliments of RLVNT.

Super nice young men. Thanks for your support.