Roughly 300 children came out to the 26th Annual Free Kids Fishing Expo on Saturday at Baker Lake in Peru.
Accompanied by family members, these children learned about the basics of fishing from volunteers and members of the Better Fishing Association of northern Illinois.
“It’s good to know that fishing is alive within these kids that come out,” Carolyn Poore, a long-time volunteer with the expo, said. “It gets them to do something out in nature and away from the phones, the TV and the Xbox.”
Kids ages six and up got to learn about various aspects of fishing at nine different stations, including ethics, technique, tools, games and interactive experiences and activities with the fish and equipment they can expect to encounter for their future fishing endeavors in the area.
“I think it’s great that these kids are getting out of the house and getting into something that’s in nature,” Vice President of the Better Fishing Association Alicia Farmer said.
Farmer has led the organization of the expo for the last 15 years.
“Not only are these kids outside and engaging, but they’re actively participating in this,” she said. “I think that’s what separates this event from others and why we can have this every year.”
Kids learned from experienced anglers about casting, knot-tying, baiting a hook, $1 $2, identifying catches, and cleaning fish.
The fishing expo at Baker Lake attracts people from all across the region and keeps introducing new anglers to the community.
Ryan Horner, a Sheridan resident, brought his seven-year-old son Ellis to his first organized fishing event on Saturday, and Ellis had one goal in mind.
“I want to catch my first fish,” he said. “I’ve gone fishing before, but never caught anything.”
Xander Welch, a six-year-old from DePue, tested his fishing skills at Feltfish Pond, an exercise for younger kids to cast a line out from a mock body of water to catch a “fish” and earn a prize.
Both Ellis and Xander can put what they learned to the test at the fishing competition on June 6 at Lock 14 in La Salle.