More than 50 fifth grade students and more than a score of parents turned out Saturday morning for Taylor Elementary School’s third annual fishing derby, designed to provide a hands-on experience with recent science lessons.
The derby, held in conjunction with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission program “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs,” was the most successful event of the three held at the pond between Moody Elementary and the White Hall School District Administration Building, said Nita Wimberly, derby coordinator.
“This year turned out better than last year,” Wimberly observed, noting the attendance. “We let anyone who showed up fish. They enjoy it, so it’s worth the effort.”
The science lessons centered around fish and invertebrates, explained Wimberly, a Taylor teacher. Students recently took a field trip to the Game and Fish Nature Center at Regional Park to study Arkansas fish, she added, and while at the center dissected a catfish.
The young fishermen Saturday hooked crappie, bream, bass, catfish and several turtles.
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Sonya Dady and Beverly Power, parent coordinators, collected 16 prizes awarded to the top fishermen and 176 hourly prizes for the three-hour fishing derby. The prizes were donated by merchants and individuals, with the White Hall Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department contributing 100 “safety packs” to the participants.
Games and Fish personnel stocked the pond with 250 pounds of fish on Friday.
Wimberly said proceeds from Taylor’s school store helped underwrite the fishing program, which she said will be expanded to White Hall Middle School during the 2012-13 school year.
Professional fisherman Dale Maine and his wife, Patti, donated their skills to the fishing derby.
Winners of the fishing prizes included:
Morgan Lunsford, biggest fish at two pounds, five ounces; Hayden Foster, smallest fish at one ounce; Grey Hudson took home the oddest catch prize with a turtle at five pounds, 10 ounces; and biggest stringer awards went to Morgan Lunsford, first place, eight pounds, two ounces; Grey Hudson, second place with five pounds, five ounces; and Shelby Rogers, third place, four pounds, two ounces.