The Winston County Journal

A plethora of kids and catfish are expected to descend upon Legion State Park Saturday, May 12 for the Third Annual Fishing Rodeo.

The annual event kicks off at 7 a.m. as children under 15 cast their bait and hooks into the serene waters to catch one or more of the 700 catfish that will be released into the lake that morning.

The previous two events had an average of 350 attendees with about 200 children participants each year

The event themed "Kids N Katfish" also offers a casting contest for children ages 7-14. Awards will be given to children catching the most fish plus door prizes will be given to luck winners.

The 700 large catfish to be released by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will be in a netted-off section of the lake, where the children will fish during the rodeo.

An adult must accompany all children at the time of registration. All children must provide their own fishing equipment. Each rodeo participant must have adult supervision.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks each year sponsors 30-40 rodeos across the state that sees about 6,000 children participants. The goal of the event is to promote and build the interest of the children in the nature and wildlife environment around them.

For more information contact the Legion State Park office at 773-8323.