Jim Holland grew up in Seattle and did some salmon fishing a long time ago with his father, but he wouldn’t call himself a fisherman.
Holland, now mayor of Frankfort, does go fishing every year though when the village hosts its annual fishing derby. And while numerous events throughout the state have been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the derby will go on, albeit a bit differently as the 17th Get Hooked on Frankfort Fishing Derby will be a virtual competition.
“I used to just go and observe, but I have a 12-year-old grandson, so for the past seven years he’s been the one fishing,” he said. “I still get to handle the fish, get the hook back out, catch and release the fish, bait the hook and that sort of thing. It’s a nice fun thing for grandparents and their grandkids and parents with their kids.”
What’s great about this event is you don’t have to be an experienced fisherman like Ernest Hemingway or Babe Winkelman to do it either. The only cost is the time it will take to spend it with your little ones. The contest is open to children between the ages of three and 12 years.
“You can fish off the sides and there’s a pier, so it’s all very simple,” Holland said. “All you need is a very inexpensive fishing pole, a bobber and a little weight, and it really doesn’t matter how you rig it.”
Pick a good day to fish between June 1 and 14. Be sure to bring along a camera and a tape measure to document your prized catch. Film a short video no longer than 10 seconds or take photos of your child with the largest fish she/he caught and a tape measure showing its length. Then, send the video or photo to fish@frankfortil.org by 11:59 p.m. on June 14, along with the name of the participant, address, age, date of birth, parent/guardian’s name and phone number.
Winners will be announced at a Village Board meeting and by email on June 15. Prizes will be awarded for largest fish caught in each age category. Submitted videos and photos will be shared on the village’s access channel, FCTV.
“We had to do it differently because we usually get 40 to 45 kids that sign up for this,” said Sue Lynchey, Frankfort’s event coordinator. “We kind of threw this together at last minute. Our deputy clerk (Theresa Cork) and I were talking about our events and we got to the topic of the fishing derby so I’ve got to give credit to her.”
Lynchey acknowledged that she has no idea what the participant numbers will be, but she’s hopeful that word spreads and many families take advantage of the opportunity.
“I don’t know if we’ll get two kids to sign up,” she said. “We really don’t know, but I think the bottom line is we’re Frankfort and we’re still trying to come up with creative ways to have our events and draw families out.”
Basically, anglers have almost two weeks to get out to Prairie Park to “keep it reel.”
“The whole idea is to give them a timeframe that promotes social distances,” Lynchey said. “We don’t want everyone out there at once. Typically we hold it early in the morning before the sports start so it doesn’t create a problem for families committed to other things. They can get out and do it at their leisure and hopefully this helps get more kids out.”
A little time fishing that’s sandwiched between other activities while practicing safe social distancing is what Lynchey and Holland are hoping many Frankfort families do.
“Prairie Park is a beautiful park and we think it’s a good way for families to get out and enjoy the downtown area,” Lynchey said. “Practice social distancing, get some food to go, or maybe you’ll be able to dine out then with outdoor seating. Hopefully it’s a nice way for a family to be engaged.”
It’s certainly a chance to make lifelong memories. After all, it was former President Jimmy Carter who said, “”Many of the most highly publicized events of my presidency are not nearly as memorable or significant in my life as fishing with my daddy.”
Another popular village event, the Frankfort Country Market, opens on June 7 in modified form due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chef demos, common area seating, family events and live entertainment will not be included in the offerings. Face coverings are required and it will be a no-touch market as vendors will bag at point of sale. Sundays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Breidert Green and 1 N White parking lots.
C.R. Walker is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
