The fish were biting at the annual Youth Fishing Rodeo in Fairview
Even though rain and storms were in the forecast for June 8, the weather was perfect r for the annual Youth Fishing Rodeo at Evergreen Lake in Veteran’s Memorial Park, and the fish were biting.
The annual event hosted by the Fairview Parks Department and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is part of the statewide Free Fishing Day. Young fishers were given the first shot at catching over 800 hundreds pounds of catfish that TWRA released into Evergreen Lake a few days before the Rodeo.
The Rodeo began with registration of children ages 15 and under at 6:30 a.m. According to Nancy Jackson, Program Director of Bowie Nature Park, 104 children were registered and fished through the morning. Jackson also estimated that about 180 people were in attendance including siblings too old to participate, parents, grandparents, and everyone else that was just there to enjoy the event.
At 10 a.m., a drawing was held for prizes donated by TWRA, including fishing equipment such as tackle boxes, and fishing poles.
“We had mostly returning families from previous years. It is always fun to see how everyone grows and improves from year to year. Quite a few were new to the event or new to fishing all together,” said Jackson. “It is so rewarding when you see the excitement on a child’s face, whether they are landing their first fish or winning a brand-new fishing pole.”
After the drawing for the prizes, the lake was opened to everyone for fishing for the remainder of the day as part of Free Fishing Day. Free Fishing Day is a statewide and national celebration that offers an opportunity for anyone to fish without possessing a fishing license. The day is intended to introduce more people to fishing, or to rekindle an old passion for the outdoors.
Lily Frank, Jonathan Perkerson, Will Frank, Sam Hammon, and Jacob Clevenger teamed up to reel in a combined catch of 67 catfish.
“Getting kids and their families invested in the outdoors is what it is all about,” stated Jackson.
