Testimonials 2023

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We had such a wonderful time when we went out on Lake Erie. Cast It Forward is a top-notch organization. This trip gave me some valuable family time with my daughter Rio who is fresh out of the service and my son Riley who is a senior in high school. This was my daughter’s first-time fishing on Lake Erie for walleye, and she caught the biggest fish. I bagged up the walleye last evening and there was enough fish for 10 meals! 

This trip had another significant meaning to me because I grew up boating on Lake Erie with my parents. I am used to being on the water, but my kids were too young to remember. Today, as I am writing this, my mother has been gone for 14 years. So, to have my daughter who had been stationed in Japan along with my son fishing with me was symbolic of my time spent on the water with my parents.

 I cannot thank Captain Art and Cast It Forward enough for the memories they provided us! 

Also, thank you to NEOPAT where I found out about this opportunity as my daughter, and I are both disabled vets. An amazing experience!

Dear Captain Art,

I can't thank you, First Mate Dave, and your entire organization enough for the

wonderful adventure that you provided my grandson and me. Starting at dawn, on Lake

Erie, and seeing the beauty of the sun just beginning to rise set the stage for the

adventure to come. After explaining all the safety features that your boat has and what

kind of fishing we would be doing, we cast off.

We continued out on the lake and learned how you use all the fishing features that your

boat provides. Shortly after letting out four lines, my grandson had his FIRST walleye

and then ANOTHER large keeper. HIS FACE LIT UP WITH JOY. I do believe that you

have made a fisherman out of him. He had fished before from the shore on local lakes

... but never on a true fishing boat ... and had never caught a fish any bigger than a

small blue gill.

We spent the rest of the morning catching walleye and releasing those that were too

small. Once we reached our limit you pointed your boat toward home and told us that it

might get a little rough. The sky was blue with small white clouds which seemed to form

a circle around the boat. The choppy waves picked up a bit and the spray of water over

the bow just added excitement to a fantastic journey!

I'm pushing 80 and felt like a kid again, enjoying great company, my grandson's joy at

catching great fish, and look forward to having a fantastic meal. By the way, when I lost

that lunker of a walleye, I also lost my sunglasses. So, the next time you are out you

may see a walleye wearing sunglasses. All the other walleye will be jealous!!!

CAST IT FORWARD truly is an amazing organization and I wish you years of success.

Thank you so much for making this a great experience for my daughter. She and her dad went fishing a few times before he passed away and it was something that they really enjoyed doing together. She was so happy when I picked her up from camp on this day, and so excited to tell her grandparents and I all about it. Thank you, not only from me – but from her Daddy that is in heaven.

Thank you to Captain Art for inviting me to go fishing on Lake Erie. I was able to bring my friend

Max, and both of our dads. We had to wake up bright and early, and it proved to be an

awesome day to go walleye fishing. It was my first time fishing on Lake Erie, and my first time

catching a walleye. It was so exciting pulling one of them in. Between the four of us, we caught

about 30 fish. After a long day on the boat, Captain Art showed us how to fillet the fish. He let us

take the fish home, and we cooked the walleye and ate them for dinner that night. Since the trip,

I’ve been fishing with my friends a bunch, and have been able to enjoy it way more. Thanks to

Cast It Forward for allowing me to have a great experience fishing on a boat.

 AMAZING EXPERIENCE!! A million thanks to Cast It Forward!!

Captain Art goes above and beyond with his kindness, thoughtfulness, and amazing skill with the whole process. He is very helpful, accommodating, generous, thoughtful and extremely knowledgeable. It is obvious he LOVES what he does for veterans, children and seniors. Although this was different than how we had fished for walleye in the past on local lakes, we caught some HUGE walleye.

Captain Art ran his tail off all day so that we would have a great time and we did!

The Hewescraft Pro V fishing boat was really cool and perfect for Lake Erie walleye fishing. Just being in a boat on the lake fishing with my awesome dad Tom and my amazing boyfriend Doug, brought back good memories. Now we have this trip together with great photos and video to boot!
It is a wonderful opportunity that Cast It Forward offers for those who don’t have the chance. You truley love what you do for others in honor of your father and he would be extremely proud. 

Happy Walleye Hunting! 

 My sister, my son, and I recently had the pleasure of fishing with Captain Art and Cast it Forward. We had never been walleye fishing before, and we were a little nervous about what to expect. But Captain Art was so patient and helpful, he made us feel right at home. He taught us everything we needed to know about fishing, and he even helped each of us catch our first fish! We had so much fun on the trip, and I would definitely recommend Cast it Forward to anyone who is looking for a great fishing experience.

We would not have had this fishing opportunity without the efforts of Captain Art and the Cast It Forward organization.
 

Couldn’t have asked for a better trip or Captain. Thanks Art for your dedication to the American Veteran. Your selfless devotion to providing individuals with the opportunity to experience an amazing fishing adventure is truly appreciated. Cast It Forward provided me with quality time with my brother and nephew. Most importantly, peace and quiet with the most beautiful views of our shoreline and Lake Erie. This was a great time to sit back and reflect on things I’ve missed so much while serving our Nation. Thanks again! 

Andrew Brugger. Cast it Forward did a great job with our fishing trip on June 1st. My son had a great time and we had a really good day of fishing. Our two senior veteran friends also enjoyed it, and Captain Art did a really good job of accommodating their special needs while on the boat.

Vincent W. It has been decades since this 70-year-old Army Veteran was on Lake Erie. It was a

very pleasurable experience and Captain Art went above and beyond to ensure

everyone on our walleye fishing excursion had a great time.

Ron R. It was a very pleasurable experience with Captain Art and the Cast It Forward

organization. They made this Lake Erie walleye fishing experience a bucket list check

off for me.