LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 22, 2010) — For more than 15 years, schools, fishing clubs and families have been using the Backyard Bass from Ironwood Pacific Outdoors to help youngsters learn to cast. Each Backyard Bass set comes with colorful plastic fish and casting plugs. Simply place the fish on the ground, step back and let the kids cast. The goal is to snag one of the fish and reel it in — just like real fishing! Ideal for children age six and up, the Backyard Bass can be used indoors or outdoors to develop casting and fishing skills.
Working in partnership with the Future Fisherman Foundation, Ironwood Pacific has just released a new Backyard Bass Starter Set. Although available to anyone, this set was designed specifically to meet the needs of angler educators working with smaller programs and events. With 16 fish in various colors and 20 casting plugs, it is perfect for up to eight participants at a time. At $49.00 (more than $10 off the suggested retail price), the kit is well within the reach of most budgets. And a portion of the proceeds from each sale of this product will help support important Future Fisherman Foundation (F3) programs such as Hooked On Fishing—Not On Drugs and Physh Ed.
“The Backyard Bass sets have long been popular with many of our educators around the country,” said F3 Director of Education Teresa Rodriguez. “They provide a fun, simple way for children to learn the basics of casting that will help them become proficient anglers. We’re very grateful our friends at Ironwood Pacific Outdoors have developed the Starter Set especially to meet the needs of the many educators who deliver our programs to school-age children throughout the U.S.”
Providing the low-price Starter Sets is just one step the Backyard Bass folks have taken to assist angler educators. They also have launched a new website where teachers, parents, club leaders and others can share experiences and find information on how to teach casting methods and casting safety.
“Over the years, we’ve principally relied on word of mouth in the angler education community to spread the word,” said Jim Stewart, President of Ironwood Pacific Outdoors. “We feel it’s time to give a little something back, so we’ve put together the BackyardBass.com website focused on creating a meeting spot for angler educators to share ideas and resources. We invite everyone to join the community, share information on the forum and give us your feedback on the site and how we can make it more useful.”
To purchase Backyard Bass Starter Sets or join the Backyard Bass on-line community of youth fishing instructors, visit www.BackyardBass.com.