Fishing for A Good Cause
Find out all about how you can fish for a good cause with Capt. Josh Thornton's nonprofit, Fishing for Everyday Heroes in Gainesville, GA.
How I Give Back to the Fishing Community
Aside from hosting fishing trips for guests on my fishing charter business, I’m always actively looking for ways to volunteer and give back to my local community. That’s why I joined the North Georgia Crappie Anglers Club, where I currently serve as president. Our club is mostly focused on gathering scientists, fishing guides, other fishing club members, pro anglers, and other fishing industry experts to tackle fishing issues, in particular, the state of the crappie population in our beloved Lake Lanier.
However, I wanted to do more. Specifically, I wanted to show my appreciation to our veterans and anyone who serves our community and country. Then one day, an idea hit me — what if I combine my expertise in fishing with my desire to give back to our nation’s heroes?
And that was how my non-profit organization, Fishing With Everyday Heroes, was born. It’s registered in Dawson County, right where I live.
We’ve been serving our community since March 2021, and it has been a blast. Our missions are run by volunteers like myself who are passionate about fishing and giving back. Our yearly goal is to be able to provide free recreational fishing trips to at least 300 of our veterans and first responders.
Going on these volunteer fishing trips is a highlight of my week, aside from the trips I host on my fishing charter business. I’m so grateful to have gathered plenty of volunteers from all over the county. We’ve managed to locate a ton of different fish species all over our home lake, Lake Lanier, and all the other water bodies in the area. If my memory serves me right, we’ve located and caught some big catfish and even a trophy striper. My specialty as an angler is crappie, and I’m always more than willing to share my secrets and techniques with any veteran or first responder I’m fishing with. I love being able to provide some form of recreational therapy for our nation’s veterans and first responders, even just within our community. I highly encourage anyone who comes along to bring their children. I find that it’s a great way to spend time with the young ones and enjoy some bit of outdoor activity at the same time. It’s a win-win situation — plus, you get to keep and eat some great fish.
Our organization offers three different types of trips. We have weekday trips that our community heroes can book depending on availability. On these trips, we can take out at most three people from 7 am until noon on Lake Lanier. Then we have our once-a-month trips for bigger groups. We gather about 20 people for a whole day of fishing and bonding. We usually meet at a particular location, depending on where the fish are. We may board a boat or fish from the dock. We typically return around lunchtime to partake in our catch for the day and swap stories.
Our biggest Fishing for Everyday Heroes event is our annual tournament. It’s just a day out on the lake but with a bit of competitive edge. We invite up to a hundred anglers who can all compete in different fish species categories — crappie, bass, or striper. It’s not just great for the veterans themselves — it’s also a nice festive way to gather the local community.
If you want to give back to your community, I highly suggest doing something similar. You can either start your non-profit organization in your neighborhood or volunteer your efforts in your local area to serve our veterans and first responders. These are our heroes, and spending time with them would mean the world.
If you can’t spare the time, donating to the cause is also a good idea. I like to run fishing tournament fundraisers for my non-profit — I think it’s a great way to gather everyone for a round of competitive fishing and raise funds so we can continue giving back.
Another good cause I would encourage anglers to do is to bring their kids along when they fish. It’s just a great way to get our kids outdoors. Plus, it’s a fantastic chance to bond. As someone who grew up fishing with my dad, I can tell you — even a lousy fishing day can turn into a lifelong memory with the right attitude. With fishing, you can impart many great lessons to your kids that they will take with them in their older years — a love and respect for nature, a sense of adventure, patience, and a willingness to exert great effort to improve one’s skills.
When I’m not volunteering my fishing expertise to our community’s good men and women, I’m usually out on my fishing charter boat, going on adventures on Lake Lanier with my guests. I’ve been fishing in this area for more than two decades, and I’m still excited to fish it and introduce it to anyone visiting our lovely North Georgia lake. Whether you’re an expert angler looking to top your record, a beginner angler ready to fill your bucket with some good ol’ crappie, or a family with kids, I’m your guide! Let’s go dock shooting for crappie all over the lake—no need to worry about bringing your fishing gear. I’ve got them all in my 21-foot War Eagle boat, along with a Livewell, some live bait, and the latest fishing technology. Just be sure to purchase the correct fishing license for the trip, and don’t forget to bring your snacks and drinks so you can keep your energy up for our early morning trip.
If you need more information before booking your trip, please visit my website, where I make sure to update my fishing report, the rates for our available fishing trips for the season, and other facts you may need. Our fishing charter also has a Facebook page where we post updates on our trips. If you’re interested in volunteering for our non-profit or donating to our cause, you may visit us at fishingwitheverydayheroes.org.
