Fifteen fish worth $100 each have been tagged for the sixth annual Trout Derby and Fun Shoot scheduled for Saturday at Rocky Fork State Park.
Approximately 2,000 trout will be stocked into a netted area at the lake for the event, sponsored by the Highland County Rod & Gun Club, Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ohio Division of Parks and Recreation. In addition to fishing, there will also be live shotgun shooting, archery shooting, a laser shot simulator, $1,500 in door prizes and plenty of free refreshments.
Last year, more than 700 youngsters showed up for the event, according to Highland County Rod & Gun Club President Tim Schlater.
"We're a conservation organization and this is our primary public service conservation project we do every year," Schlater said. "We want to try to get kids involved in hunting and fishing and obviously they enjoy the event."
Registration for the event, for kids ages 15 and under, begins at 10 a.m. at the Rocky Fork Campground docks area. Shooting events begin at 11 a.m. and run until 4 p.m. All guns, ammunition and targets are provided. Schlater emphasized that children should not bring own their guns or ammunition.
The trout derby will be held from 1-4 p.m. at the campground docks, where the trout are netted into a specific area. Anyone catching one of the tagged fish will win $100. Bait will be provided, but children should bring their own fishing poles.
Every child under 16 who registers for the event will receive a ticket that makes them eligible for door prizes given away throughout the day. Schlater said the prizes are mostly fishing-related items like rods, reels and tackle boxes. When a name is called, the ticket holder will be allowed to pick out his or her prize.
The netted fishing area will be open to the public after 4 p.m., although a fishing license will be required for anyone 16 or older. The net will be kept up until the last week of this month, when the fish will be released into the lake.
The purpose for the trout release is not to stock the lake. The trout are released in early April because they likely won't survive the summer months due to local water temperatures, although there have been reports of a handful of trout catches at Rocky Fork in summer months. Rather, the real reason of the release is to enhance fishing opportunities for youth and adults.
"The main reason for the release at Rocky Fork is the kids' event," said Doug Maloney, a fish management supervisor for the Division of Wildlife. "Fishing is a great tradition and a great outdoor activity and the Division of Wildlife and Division of Parks are all for passing that on to the next generation."
Saturday, Ducks Unlimited will put on a seminar for children during the event, and hot dogs, snacks, pop, hot chocolate and coffee will be provided.
In the event of a heavy or daylong rainfall, the event will be moved to Sunday.
"But, it would have to be something like an all-day rain or a total washout because the next day is Easter and we really don't want to hold it then," Schlater said.
