TYLER, Texas — You get a fish! You get a fish! You get a fish! Everybody got to enjoy some fun at Saturday’s second annual CBS19 Urban Kids Fishing Derby.
The first fishing derby last year drew in about 100 young anglers. This year though, more than 150 kids signed up to fish, with plenty of others joining along. It was a great day to hit the water, whether you were a fishing pro or a first-timer.
"I love getting outdoors and breathing fresh air, and I’ve been raised fishing since I was 2," said Aaliyah from Tyler.
"When I catch a fish, I get too excited when I get it," said Brooklyn from Tyler.
"My favorite one so far is going to be this one," said Madeline from Lindale.
There were prizes handed out to kids that caught the biggest fish of the day, and even the smallest. But the main focus of the day was about getting kids to enjoy the outdoors and to help them understand the opportunities that fishing can provide.
"I always tell a person this is fishing with a purpose. And what that means is we want them to look at careers, we want them to look at the science, we want them to look at the biology and the other career opportunities. But most importantly, we want them to know that they have access. And this is what it’s doing is creating access to look at that," said Wayne Hubbard with Urban American Outdoors TV.
Hubbard said the wide range of career options are a lot more plentiful than just professional angler.
"There are wildlife biologists, there are herpetologists, there are ornithologists (bird people). There are even entomologists (folks that deal with insects) and so on and so forth. So there’s a ton of careers in the outdoors, a lot of people may not be aware of," said David Buggs, director of community engagement with Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Before this weekend's derby, a lot of the kids had never been fishing before in their lives. Now, there could be a plethora of future biologists among these young anglers.
And while that may not be the lesson that every kid took away, one thing for sure is that they all had a good time enjoying the outdoors with friends and family.
"It’s rewarding man, seeing the kids catch all these fish and having a good time," said Jesse from Lindale.