TULALIP — It was the first time Allen Vernon of Mill Creek made his own lure.
“Be careful with how hard you press on that hook,” said Buz Bauman, of the Everett Steelhead & Salmon Club as Allen’s father, Ken, watched him finish. “You don’t want to put it through your thumb.”
Allen shares Ken’s love of fishing and camping, especially now that Allen is old enough to be patient and wait for bites.
“As long as the end of his pole is shaking, he’s happy,” Ken Vernon said. “He’s had his swim lessons. He even loves cleaning his catch, just because he loves the blood and guts of it.”
Bauman and fellow club members helped more than two dozen people at the Tulalip Cabela’s make their own lures during the store’s March 14-15 Great Spring Outdoor Days. He acknowledged their main focus was getting younger fishers like Allen hooked.
“It’s all about the kids,” Bauman said. “We want them to catch fish, so they don’t lose interest in the hobby.”
Fellow club member Carl Rienstra added: “The younger we get them, the more they’ll remember it later on. They might have other hobbies they get more interested in as teenagers, but fishing will always stay at the back of their minds.”
To help ensure that interest, the club invites young fishers from 5-12 years old to its annual stocked-pond fishing derbies at Jennings Park in Marysville from 8-11 a.m. May 2, and from 5-14 years old at Twin Lakes County Park in Lakewood from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 16.
Meanwhile, professional tournament angler John Blank provided spring bass tactics for entry-level fishers.
“Bass is not a big fish in Western Washington, so I break down how to be a success in just a few tips, without having to spend tens of thousands of dollars,” Blank said.
Blank reassured novice bass fishers that they only need $30 of tackle as long as they follow the fish.
“Between April and June is when bass spawn,” said Blank, who recommended lakes Goodwin, Washington, Whatcom and Sammamish. “Do your staging off a rocky drop-off.”
Blank recommended using the earth view of Google Maps to get overhead views of prospective fishing areas, to identify their shallows and save on gas money.
Also, store volunteer Michael Kyte supervised kids building wooden boats.
Harveen Aujla just happened to be visiting from Birch Bay with his sons.
Of his older son Sihaan, Harveen said, “He likes tinkering and playing with tools. This is his first time using a hammer. I started him off with the first couple of nails, but he picked it up after that on his own.”
Harveen added that younger son Verdaan is content simply to paint and color his boat.
“The end product doesn’t matter as much as letting them have fun and use their imaginations,” Kyte said. “I love watching the interaction between the parents and their kids. It builds better relationships between them.”
