White bass in huge numbers are making their way up the inlet streams surrounding Utah Lake. Though their size is a little small, their numbers are so great that anglers both young and old are enjoying the action regardless of the size of the fish.

My son Don Jr. enjoys taking his young daughters to the Provo River this time of year and teaching them to fish when they can catch a fish on almost every cast.

"The girls were able to catch some fish all by themselves," Don Jr. said. "We caught over 150 bass in just a few hours on Thursday afternoon."

One of the challenges in teaching children to fish is getting them over the enjoyment hump. They must catch a few fish so they don't become bored and lose interest. Taking children fishing during the white bass run is a sure-fire way to get them excited about fishing while teaching them valuable skills.

A white or chartreuse crappie jig (1/16th ounce) is the perfect bait this time of year. Small spinners with silver blades also work extremely well. Use your imagination and see if you can find baits that work even better than the jig or the spinner. This is a great time to experiment.

When teaching children, it's important to concentrate on both cast and retrieve. White bass continually move up and down rivers or streams; they swim in tight schools and are easily visible using your Cocoon polarized sunglasses. Locate a school and make sure your child can cast directly into the school. I sometimes watch parents who allow children to cast their lines in any direction just to keep them occupied. When fishing for white bass, this is a mistake. White bass like shade and will hold near structure; they love current, but also enjoy current edges. Teach your children where the fish are holding and encourage them to cast to those spots.

I find that retrieving jigs or spinners in a slow, deliberate manner will entice more strikes than "burning" baits or "yo-yoing" the baits. At times, bass will follow a presentation for a distance before they decide to bite. A slow, consistent retrieval speed will, more times than not, attract several bass that will eventually compete for the bait.

The spring white bass run won't last long. It's been in full swing now for about a week, so take advantage right now and let a child get in on the bass bonanza before it's gone for another year.

• Don Allphin can be reached at remaxdoa@gmail.com.