State Fair Community College’s The LearningForce has gift certificates available for purchase for Hobby Welding, Crappie University and other professional and enrichment classes.
Hobby Welding will meet from 6-9 p.m. from Jan. 8-12 in Fielding Technical Center. This class offers hands-on, individual instruction that includes safety, set-up and basic applications for shielded metal arc, gas metal arc and flux cored arc welding. During 15 hours of class time, participants will learn techniques for building, repairing, making home furnishings and artwork. Attendees need to wear leather shoes and gloves, long-sleeve denim or cotton shirts, safety glasses, and bring their own welding hood to classes. Cost is $199; Carl Mounce is the instructor.
Crappie University, an accelerated four-day course in crappie fishing strategies, will be held from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Feb. 7, 13, 21 and 28 in Thompson Conference Center in Heckart Science and Allied Health Center. Participants will learn cutting-edge techniques used by top crappie pros and guides. Cost is $89.
Barry Morrow, the “crappie coach” will conduct the Feb. 7 class. He is a retired school superintendent and wrestling coach and is now a full-time crappie guide in Oklahoma and Missouri. Morrow, who lives in Deepwater, has been featured on the Sportsman’s Channel and fishes several crappie trails. He has won three Crappie Masters events and is the back-to-back winner of the Missouri State Championship. Morrow is known nationwide for helping coach anglers in the art of crappie catching.
On Feb. 13, Kevin Rogers will lead the class. In 25 years as a pro, he has won more than 50 crappie tournaments in five states. Rogers fishes 25 or more crappie events each year and has been featured in numerous national magazines, TV shows and newspapers. He is an expert in the new “dock shooting” technique and teaches how to utilize a locator to find and catch crappie. Truman Lake is Rogers’ “home lake,” where he has racked up 22 first-place finishes. In 2010, he started a monthly Crappie.com tournament trail on Truman Lake that is ongoing. Rogers lives in Pleasant Hill.
Todd Huckabee, Oklahoma’s crappie guru for slab crappie, will be the featured speaker Feb. 21. Huckabee guides on Lake Eufaula and Ft. Gibson Lake in Oklahoma and Lake Millwood in Arkansas. He has competed in numerous professional fishing competitions and has placed first in Crappie USA and Cast Tournaments. He specializes in the pursuit of barn door crappie and debunking crappie myths and is an expert in finding and catching crappie regardless of the conditions.
Terry Blankenship, winner of more than 50 crappie tournaments, is the final speaker on Feb. 28. He lives in Osage Beach and is a Lake of the Ozarks expert for a variety of species. Blankenship fishes 25 or more crappie events each year and has been featured in numerous national magazines, TV shows and newspapers. He is an expert in the new “dock shooting” technique and teaches how to use electronics to find and catch more crappie.
For more information and to register online go to sfccmo.edu/the-learning-force, call (660) 530-5822 or email thelearningforce@sfccmo.edu.
