Youth Fishing Trip Set for June

Sign up for a fishing trip designed to give hands-on experience to local youth

Do you know a young angler who is interested in taking their saltwater fishing skills to the next level? Well, the West Palm Beach Fishing Club's (WPBFC) charitable foundation has a program ideally suited for just such a youngster. The S.A.L.T.Y. (Saltwater Angling Lessons & Techniques for Youth) program is designed to help cultivate the next generation of knowledgeable and responsible saltwater anglers through an advanced hands-on instructional fishing experience.

Call the WPBFC (561) 832-6780 if you know a kid age 12 to 15 years old who can participate with a parent or adult chaperone in a two-day fishing course. The course is planned for June 18 and 19, and limited to 20 kids and 20 adults.

The first day will consist of a Friday evening introduction and hands-on rigging instruction from 6pm to 9pm at the historic WPBFC. The following day participants will go on a fishing trip aboard the Miss Blue Heron berthed in Riviera Beach from 7am to 2pm, rotating through specific angling stations covering techniques for catching wahoo, kingfish, snapper and more.

The cost of the program is $60, covering both the participant and their parent/chaperone. The nominal program fee includes personalized instruction, various supplies, t-shirt, meals, snacks and drinks. Upon successful completion of the course each youth participant will become a junior member of the WPBFC and will receive a new Penn spinning rod & reel combination.

“There has been a community need for a program like this for quite some time. There are a lot of kids out there who have the desire to get into saltwater fishing, but their parents just don't know how to get started. This program, which we have dedicated to our late board member Don ‘Hap' Wilson, fills that void. Hap was a passionate angler and valued the mentorship required to teach fishing skills to the next generation. This program teaches both child and parent useful fishing skills that they can build upon,” said WPBFC Chairman Pete Schulz.

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