Teaching Youth How to Successfully Cast into Cover

Every father envisions his children succeeding in everything they do, but there are always setbacks along the way. However, this is precisely what we managed to avoid on Mason's very first long float trip down the upper Manistee River, where we skillfully cast lures at heavy cover and caught magnificent Brown Trout.

As Mason and I were looking through the tackle box looking for the perfect lure, one in particular caught my eye, it was a Rapala that the day before on a guided trip that the diving lip was broke off. At that moment a light went off in my head, if I take the hooks off of this lure Mason can cast directly into the cover without snagging up making the trip go smooth for the both of us. I reached for the broken Rapala lure, carefully removing the hooks, and handed it to Mason with a grin. "Here, buddy, this one's for you," I said, knowing that this simple modification would make all the difference in teaching him how to successfully cast into cover.

With the modified lure in hand, Mason's eyes lit up with excitement as we headed downstream through the first rapid of our float, ready to conquer any obstacles that lay ahead. I explained that unless he felt comfortable casting the lure precisely to where it needed to go, he wouldn't catch anything. However, I assured him that he would develop the necessary skills for success, either during this trip or in the future. Mason embraced this idea with great enthusiasm and started to cast. Initially, his casts were wild, landing in trees, behind the boat, over logs, in bushes, and some were just indescribable. The key was that the hookless lure was effective because it didn't get snagged on anything, enabling Mason to practice the cast repeatedly and master it.

After about 4 miles of stream, the casts were flawless - perfect angle, perfect placement, and perfect distance. At that moment, I started to feel a surge of confidence in this technique and began rifling through the tackle box for a lure that had proven effective. We swapped out the training lure for the productive one.

After the switch, the work was far from finished, and further instructions were given on how to reel the bait back to the boat. Working with Mason was a pleasure; his patience meant that immediate results were not a concern. On his second cast, a good-sized brown emerged from the woodwork and chased his bait to the boat. The excitement on his face was priceless. Several casts later, another fish emerged and took the bait. After a thrilling battle, the fish threw the hook, and his level of excitement soared through the roof.

In the end, Mason landed a truly impressive 15” brown trout that truly made his day. As a proud father, I witnessed him grasp the essence of "putting your time in," and added a valuable skill to his repertoire as an angler. It's crucial to remember that introducing a child to a complex task with the right tools not only eases their day, but also enhances your own experience while nurturing the future of the sport - our youth!