On July 2nd, 2022, Yamaha Outboards Pro Angler Spencer Deutz hosted his ninth Youth and Family Fishing Clinic of the season. Spencer’s goal this year is to educate 500 youth anglers in hopes of growing the sport of fishing though education and outreach. Only six months into the season, Spencer has hit that goal and does not plan on slowing down anytime soon.
This is the second year in a row Spencer has hosted one of his events at Haybale Heights Campground in Devils Lake, ND. Registration opened on June 18th and the class was full in the first five minutes. All 30 youth anglers who registered were greeted with free SunButter Sunflower Butter and a Future Angler Foundation (FAF) t-shirt. Once they received their items, Spencer presented an interactive seminar where kids learned how to keep their waterways free and clear from aquatic nuisance species (ANS), how to identify fish, on the water safety, and much more.
Following the seminar, the future anglers split up into four groups where they rotated though 10-minute stations learning different casting techniques while catching backyard bass. They also had the opportunity to view various types of live bait, tour Spencer’s Ranger 620PRO powered by a Yamaha F300XCA and take part in Project Tikka Mino.
Project Tikka Mino is sponsored by Clam Outdoors and Renegade Outdoor Innovations. The Tikka Mino is a one-piece, jigging minnow, an industry first for Clam Pro Tackel, and is designed for vertical presentation to rip fish through ice or open water. This project allows kids to design their own Tikka Mino on a blank coloring page. At the end of the year, Deutz will choose 10 winners and Renegade Outdoor Innovations will custom paint a Tikka Mino that is an exact match to their drawing!
Following the clinic, each participant was given a rod/reel combination courtesy of the National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) FAF.
Deutz, the NPAA, and the FAF would like to thank Haybale Heights Campground for allowing use of their facilities. Deutz has hosted over 90 kids’ clinics and is dedicated to making a significant impact on the sport through education and outreach.
Volunteers for the event included Carley Deutz, Zach Axtman, Dale Wasness and Matt Vollmers. For more information about taking part in the future angler program, contact Spencer Deutz at 701-361-2521.
Deutz’s Sponsors Include: Yamaha Outboards, SunButter Sunflower Butter, Ranger Boats, Luther Family Buick GMC of Fargo-Moorhead, Blackfish Gear, Optima Batteries, VisionBANK, Moritz Sport and Marine, Off Shore Tackle Company, Northland Tackle, and Airwave Pedestal.
