The fishing club, founded just a year ago at Grandview High School, has quickly grown into a student-led community built on enthusiasm, commitment, and a shared love for the sport. Junior Tanner Heinrich, club president and founder, has watched that growth firsthand.

“I feel honored and I really like it when someone seems interested or when someone knows their stuff when it comes to fishing. And I always enjoy it when people are having fun. You go in, they’re like ‘Oh yeah, I’m going. You’ll see me there.’ That makes me happy,” Heinrich said. 

Many students are drawn to the club not just for the camaraderie, but also for the relaxing, peaceful nature of fishing.

“I just like how peaceful it is and how quiet and calming it can be,” Senior Zachary Muniz said.

To support the growing interest, the club regularly brings in guest speakers who share a wide range of fishing knowledge and techniques.

“I bring [guest speakers] because they have much more information to bring to the table than I do. They usually have way more expertise and knowledge through fishing,” Heinrich said. “Maybe some have ice fishing, some have fly fishing, some have just fishing in general, more knowledge, and they know how to fish better than I do.”

Even with its success, leading the club hasn’t always been easy. Busy schedules and communication challenges have made consistency difficult at times.

“Challenges I faced are a lot of people not showing up,” Heinrich said. “We have jobs, have other sports to do, and not be able to get in contact with everyone.
And sometimes I have other school stuff going on. Like I’m in the theater, I’m in tennis, I’m in different clubs. I have homework, I have tests to study for, and I get stressed out at school. But a fishing club is my prize and glory. I always try to spend time on it.” Heinrich said.

Despite the challenges, Heinrich said the time and effort he puts into the club are more than worth it when he sees students discover the same love he has for fishing.

“The most rewarding part, I would say, is getting to know more people, making more friends, and just seeing more people getting to love fishing. I wanted to show my love of fishing and get more people to see why I love it so much,” Heinrich said.