Fun, Sun, and Fishing at this Year's 2017 C.A.S.T. for Kids Event at Lake Berryessa

Written by: Emily Quinn

A happy C.A.S.T. for Kids participant holds up one of five fish he caught on Lake Berryessa.On Saturday, May 6, 2017, the annual C.A.S.T. for Kids event was held at Lake Berryessa. The sun was shining, and the lake level was the highest it’s been in more than ten years, which created ideal fishing conditions for the 13 C.A.S.T. for Kids event participants.

Volunteer boat captain, along with their crew, taught participants the “ins and outs” of fishing, and several of the children caught small-mouth bass and perch while out on the water. On land, the kids saw blue-bellied lizards and other small wildlife, and learned all about wildlife habitats.

The event’s enthusiastic volunteers were wonderful to have on board. They made sure that each child enjoyed the experience of learning to fish, and everyone left the event wearing a smile. Participants and volunteers alike are looking forward to sharing the experience again at next year’s C.A.S.T. for Kids event at Lake Berryessa.

The C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation was created in 1991, and is a public charity designed to pair volunteers with a passion for fishing and children with disabilities and/or disadvantages for a fun-filled day of fishing. The event creates an adaptive environment for children ages 5-17, who may not otherwise have an opportunity to go fishing.

Kids attend events at local lakes or bodies of water, and are supplied with their very own rod and reel, t-shirt, hat, and tackle box. They’re partnered with an experienced, volunteer angler and are taken out on a boat (with a parent or guardian), and shown the basics of fishing.

The late, former Reclamation Commissioner John Keyes III and Reclamation employee Wayne Deason worked together to create the partnership between Reclamation and C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation back in 1992. The program now averages about eighteen events throughout the West each year.

Between 2010 and 2016 alone, the partnership between Reclamation and C.A.S.T. has touched the lives of 4,375 children. More than 7,800 individuals have volunteered their time since the program’s inception in 1992. Since the first event held 1992 at Banks Lake, Washington, the Bureau of Reclamation and the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation have worked together to improve accessibility to outdoor recreation on Reclamation's reservoirs.

Learn more about the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation here: https://www.usbr.gov/youth/play/cast.html.

The Chavez family poses for a photo with their boat captains after a successful morning on the water.

Thirteen boat captains volunteered their time and boats

A park ranger teaches participants about wildlife habitats.

Published on May 08, 2017