Volunteers were busy Thursday morning setting up shade structures, stringing
poles and hanging up banners to put finishing touches on this year's Kids'
Fishing Derby at Lampe Park.
But the sign that the park was truly ready came when the trucks from the
Mason Valley, Lahontan and Susanville fish hatcheries pulled up to dump
upwards of 6,000 fish ranging in size from 1 to 8 pounds in Willow Creek.
Among those are 300 tagged fish that can be redeemed for prizes like new
fishing poles, tackle boxes or a variety of other merchandise, and 15 trophy
fish between 4 and 8 pounds.
None of the fish have been fed in three weeks, which should make for some
food fishing.
The derby starts Saturday morning although the first two sessions are
already full. While 1,657 children were signed up as of Thursday morning,
there were still spots available during the later sessions. The deadline to
register for the free event is 5 p.m. today at the Douglas County Parks &
Recreation Department, 782-9828. Children 12 and younger are welcome to
participate.
Organizers are still seeking volunteers for the event, particularly along
the riverfront to help bring the fish in. Anyone 13 and older is welcome to
volunteer, but they must call coordinator Trent Dowell at 220-6065 before
noon today to get on the list.
Breakfast will be served at the concession stand beginning at 6:30 a.m.
Saturday and lunch begins at 10:30. T-shirts will be on sale with adult
sizes going for $10 or three for $25 and youth sizes going for $6 or three
for $15.
The Derby begins at 8 a.m. both days.
Representatives from Sierra Nevada Bigmouth Bass will be on hand to conduct
a regional qualifier casting tournament for kids. They'll also have four pro
angler boats on hand for demonstrations.
