Totally Hooked
Catfish and hotdogs complimented each other nicely at the Forest Service Kids’ Fishing Derby
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- Photos by Eugenia Jones
It was a beautiful day for munching hotdogs while reeling in catfish at the annual U.S.F.S. kids’ fishing derby at the Barren Fork Fishing Pond. With the pond freshly stocked with 1400 pounds of catfish, 120 registered participants between the ages of five and fifteen managed to reel in a total of 492 pounds of catfish between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. as family members and friends cheered them on.
With all participants receiving goody bags for their participation and many winning “door” prizes, Ryan McCollum walked away with a $50 Walmart gift card for reeling in the biggest fish at 7.52 pounds. Prize winners in age group 5-9 were: 1st-Emmanuel Meadows with 34.11 pounds, 2nd-Ray Hughes with 21.10 pounds, and 3rd-Adison Taylor with 18.69 pounds. In the age 10-15 bracket, Ryan McCollum finished first with 34.12 pounds. Rylan Keith finished second pulling in 24.75 pounds, and Cassie Crabtree weighed in with 23.10 pounds.
The fishing derby is sponsored each year by the U.S. Forest Service with the Stearns Ranger District Employees donating many of the prizes. Additional supporters of this year’s fishing derby include: Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department, Kroger/Whitley City, Save-A-Lot/Whitley City, Sweet Kreations, Braxton King with Champions for a Drug Free McCreary County, Walmart/Oneida, TN, Symple Tymes Monogramming and Crafts, Snap Happy Jewelry, Stacy White of the United Trappers of Kentucky, and Pine Knot Job Corps Culinary Crew.
