Moon Township Fishing Derby: A fun family day out
Young anglers and their parents flocked to the Moon Township Park pond Saturday to take part in the annual fishing derby.
And even if some of the slippery targets got away, every child who participated caught at least one thing – a brand new tackle box.
The event hosted nearly two dozen children in two groups, one that began bright and early at 8 a.m. and the other two hours later. Both sessions lasted about 90 minutes.
Parents and children arrived early to choose the perfect spot for not only catching an abundance of fish but also to have a morning of fun.
While the fishing derby invites children between the ages of 5-10 to fish at the township park pond, the small body of water is available for anglers all year long.
Often, the children participating in the derby even have favorite spots along the bank, which gives them a reason to wake up early to get that special spot. As a result, the grassy sections can fill up fast, but those participating quickly move to other places across the length of the pond.
Children were not the only ones turning out for the derby, however. Parents lined the shore behind their children, being the best cheerleaders anyone could ask for.
Patrick Metzler, a Moon Township resident, brought his two children to the fishing derby Saturday morning. Metzler said the event is a “great family friendly occasion, because even if you don’t catch any fish, it is always a beautiful day to spend with family.
“It’s worth every second.”
The fishing derby is also a great chance to teach children how to fish, including how to attach worms to hooks and how to cast their lines.
Josh Warner, the township’s Parks and Recreation director, is the driving force behind the derby along with Lauren Madison, the department’s community outreach coordinator.
It was due to their hard work and dedication that the fishing derby was almost fully booked for each session, allowing kids to have an opportunity to gain rewards and have fun doing so.
In addition to prizes for the derby winners, each child received a tackle box filled with different sized bobbers on arrival, making the event even more exciting for those participating.
At the very end of both sessions, the event winners were awarded something other than the initial tackle box. These prizes went to the young anglers who caught the shortest fish, the first fish and the longest fish. Their prize included a towel and special pliers for children to retrieve the hooks from the fish they caught.
Overall, the children had tons of fun at the fishing derby. The event welcomed both those children who had previously participated in the event as well as children who had not. Regardless of the experience level of these young anglers, they had a blast catching as many fish as they could.
There were even some wild cards to make the event surprising. Within the first couple of minutes of the first session, a tadpole fell for the unsuspecting lure of a worm on a hook. Even turtles liked to join the event as snacks landed in the water.
It was a very exciting Saturday morning for the children who participated and the parents who helped. Fond memories were created and fun was had, making the lure of future wildlife experiences even more fascinating.
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