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. The program targets youth ages 12 to 15 years old who can participate with a parent or adult chaperone in the two-day course. “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.
Participation in each S.A.L.T.Y. program is limited to 20 kids and 20 adults. Two courses are planned for this summer, the first on June 19th & 20th and the second on June 26th & 27th. The first day of each course 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. “Thanks to support from program sponsors, including the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County and others, this is a tremendous value to any kid and parent who really wants to advance their saltwater fishing skills,” added Schulz. Contact the WPBFC for a program application form (561) 832-6780.