Event organizers hope to hook some young anglers

Torus Tammer

Some 1,500 hopeful young anglers are expected on March 31 for the

first Youth Fishing Derby to be held at Mile Square Park in Fountain

Valley.

The California Department of Fish and Game along with The Orange

County Harbors, Beaches and Parks Division are sharing the host duties

for the event.

Capt. Ron Baker and Mike Gardner of Fish Talk Radio KPLS-AM 830 have

put a lot of work into the event and are eager to see it take off.”This

will be free for every kid and we want all kids to show up for the

event,” Gardner said. “We’ll be using loud speakers and making sure

everything runs smoothly so everyone can have a good time.”

Gardner said they have $16,000 of donated prizes to give away, and it

is the first time they are going to have an event in a city-like setting.

The event is a trout derby for kids ages of 1 to 15. The goal is to

provide an opportunity for kids to fish, have some fun and learn. The

program has been conducted in several Southern California counties and

has been very successful, said Department of Fish and Game officials.

The fishing derby will include five learning stations where children

will participate in learning about fishing. Upon completion, each child

will receive a junior fishing license and fishing equipment. In the

afternoon, participants and their families will be provided a free

barbecue lunch.

Gardner said kids should not worry if they do not have equipment

because fishing rods, bait and hooks will be provided to those who need

them.

Laura Crum, fish and wildlife interpreter for the California

Department of Fish and Game said that they hold two of these events per

month in Los Angeles County.”We don’t have as many places in Orange

County that are suitable, so we hope that this will be a first of many

years of events to come,” Crum said. “We are looking forward to it and

think it’s going to be big.”

Mile Square Park Supervising Park Ranger Rich Hufnagel said the

Fountain Valley location is perfectly suited for this event and that an

event of this magnitude could not take place had it not been for the

participation of many different entities.

“Basically, we supply the park and the rest is a team effort,”

Hufnagel said. “Each person in each segment of the event has a

responsibility and ours is making sure the fish are delivered so we can

stock the lake the day before.”

Mile Square Regional Park is located in Fountain Valley, northeast of

the San Diego Freeway on Euclid Street. Parking is $4.00 per vehicle.

Information: (714) 962-5549.