The Friends of Castaic Lake held their annual “Fish for Fun Day for Kids” fishing event last week with over 500 children in attendance eager to capture fresh trout from the waters of Castaic Lake.
The Friends of Castaic Lake has held the annual tradition for almost two decades with the goal of exposing children to the fishing experience, fall in love with the outdoor activity and spend time in nature, said Clay Friedman, president of the organization.
Over 1,000 trout were released into the waters of the lake, intended to ensure every child went home with at least one fresh catch fully prepped for cooking by volunteers and professional anglers, added Friedman.
The organization also provided fishing rods and tackle to all the participating children.
Families who chose to participate spent the early morning patiently waiting with their little ones until their fishing rod moved, indicating they had a trout on the line.
The decades-long tradition has grown throughout the years and over 150 volunteers and 45 anglers were offering their assistance throughout the eventful morning, despite the cold, gloomy weather. The anglers spent the day by the shoreline helping children accurately place the tackle onto the hook and how to reel the fish in, said Courtney Tole-Schmitz, vice president for the organization.
Participants were also given a free meal, and a free shirt to commemorate the fun morning, added Tole-Schmitz.
Every child could catch at least two fish and were given a 20-minute time slot and children were divided by age groups so they all had a fair chance to capture something.
When the event was first coming to fruition, it began with families playing music on a speaker and catching fish out of the back of a pickup truck, said Tole-Schmitz. Her husband was one of the first families to experience the early stages of the now much-anticipated celebration.
“We would have a little DJ booth and they would just set up and they’d bring some food, fishermen [would] help the kids catch fish and that was how it started. It evolved every year, [and] we’ve gotten bigger and bigger,” said Tole-Schmitz.
Children also practice patience when fishing, which is a valuable skill for them to develop, added Tole-Schmitz.
James Schneider, a professional angler for many years, grew up creating fond memories at the lake with his father, who first taught him the art of fishing at the age of 3. During the fishing day, he was teaching and assisting numerous families and children catching trout.
“The biggest thing with kids is knowing that their attention spans aren’t the biggest. So first thing we’ll do is get them interested by hooking a fish and letting them feel the fish pull. Then we start working in how to cast it,” said Schneider. “The second they get to hook a fish, it puts a sparkle in their eye and they want to learn more.”
Casting is the act of throwing the hook with tackle to lure the fish, added Schneider.
Schneider has volunteered for several years for the annual event and ever since has made the time to offer his knowledge to families because he enjoys witnessing them be exposed to something new that he grew up enjoying.
