Italy Resident/Cedar Hill teacher shows students the Zen of fishing

ITALY – Italy resident Matthew Gaines likes to fish. 

Gaines is also a teacher at Cedar Hill’s Lake Ridge Elementary, so he is teaching his students to enjoy fishing too.

“I incorporate fishing to provide real life connection to science,” Gaines explains.

“It gives the content purpose.” 

Gaines teaches Science, Social Studies and Reading/ELA in the past, and said the fishing angle fits into his teaching curriculum in that, “Science is easy to integrate fishing. 

“Life science has obvious connections, food webs and [the] ecosystem. 

“However, I connect physical and earth science to it as well. Weather patterns change what baits to consider. 

“Relative density also plays a role when trying to reach the fish. Sonar and how it uses sound energy to create a picture on my fish finders are much like echo location. 

“I can tie almost every science subject to fishing and make the content real.” 

While he fishes for bass for the most part, he added throughout the year he will also target crappie and catfish, and he is always open to “chase new species.” 

The elementary school teacher began fishing when he was in elementary school. 

“My dad planted the seed and got me addicted to fishing,” he explained.

“When he passed over 10 years ago, I stopped fishing for a few years. I just had a hard time with it. 

“I met my wife, then Carol O’Daniel, and she helped me get past the struggles because she is also from a fishing family and she also had lost her mom.”

Then his wife’s father taught him how to competitive bass fish in tournaments. 

“We won $10,000 last year in the Media Bass Championship on Richland Chambers Reservoir,” he said. “We got lucky.”

Gaines and his wife also fish tournaments together. 

“Fishing is our life,” he added. 

“One day I had the idea of taking my students fishing. It was a way I could share a piece of my dad.  In essence, it feels like he is still alive. It’s a legacy I guess. 

“The seed he planted continues with every student I teach.”

Gaines has been taking students fishing for the past four years.  

“I only take fifth graders, but the rest of the school sees us going all the time. It has become a rite of passage for the little ones. 

“They can’t wait to get to fifth grade,” Gaines said.

He also works with the Ike Foundation providing rods and reels, and each student takes one home at the end of the year. 

“A lot of people equate fishing to Zen,” Gaines concluded.”

“What is it that makes you love fishing so much? I grew up in Chicago. Fishing gave me an opportunity to find peace in a loud city and it kept me off the streets. 

“It is something I have done for years. My best memories as a kid were at the lake.”