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Back in 2007 I did a post about Fish for the Fun of It. That was the second to last year I could be involved, but we went again this year for Alyssa. Fish for the Fun of It is an Orange County Parks and Recreation program. Three Saturdays in a row there is a fishing tournament at three different Orange County Parks.

The first Saturday we arrived at Barnet Park and found out favorite spot from years past, out on a little island across a board walk. As we were walking across we spied many brim, large and small, swimming about. We figured with so many fish it would be a good spot.

Over the two hours of the tournament Alyssa (the only one allowed to fish) caught four brim, each a little less than an ounce and a half. She was very excited because she caught one almost as soon as the tournament began.

The next week the tournament was at Blanchard Park. This park has a large spillway that many people like to fish off of. We arrived early enough to stake a claim on the bridge with our camping chairs.

The bridge was not quite the hot spot it had been last year, but Alyssa managed to catch another brim with no help at all.

On the down side of the spill way there were a pair of alligators. They were both six (or so) feet long. They live there and we have seen them for the past couple years.

On a side note, the fishing tournament happened to fall on Talk Like a Pirate Day.

The third park was Bear Creek, and is the closest to our house. Unfortunately Alyssa did not catch anything. After the tournament was over Alyssa allowed me to try my luck. I managed to land a brim.

As we were leaving we were told there was another family fishing event in Winter Park the next Saturday. Ashley and I were scheduled to be on a Leadership Retreat with the youth. The rest of the family went, and had a great time.

At this tournament there were no prizes and everyone (including adults) could fish. You could also keep any fish you caught. The three of them caught 8 catfish and a brim. They gave the catfish to a man who was going to eat the fish he caught.

At this tournament they found out another was to be held in Ocoee the next Saturday. It turned out to be a founder’s day event where the first fish you caught earned you a ribbon.

We snagged a spot in the shade, but we had little luck. Ashley managed to catch a lizard that was scampering over everyone, though not with a fishing pole. At the end of the day our only catch was one small brim.

It was a bit disappointing, so when we came home we decided to try in the pond two doors down from our house. We had received fishing poles in previous years and had some extra worms from the morning, so we had plenty of equipment.

We fished until it became too dark for the fish (and us) to see the bait. The total ended with four fish caught by Ashley, four by me, and three hooked by Alyssa. All were brim of many different sizes. I didn’t even know there were that many fish in our little pond!

Ashley had only been allowed to fish in the tournaments for two years before she was too old. Neither of those years was she able to catch anything, so these four fish where the first she had ever caught. They were also the biggest of the ones we caught that day.

The next Saturday we tried again in the pond. However, the leftover worms had turned to mush, so they did not make very good bait. We tried with frozen corn and that worked only a little better. The day ended with a lot of bites and only one catch.

We had fun though, so we tried again on a Saturday afternoon. The corn was working better, and I caught two more brim. Alyssa landed four, one of which was the biggest we have caught from that pond. Ashley hooked a couple, but they all got away about a foot from the bank.

We have not had an open Saturday for a while, but we plan to fish more in the future.

Every year, three Saturdays in a row, Orange County Parks and Recreation hosts Fish For The Fun Of It. Fish For The Fun Of It is held at three different parks with lakes. The tournament is only for kids (12 and under). Poles and bait are provided. The kids fish for 2 hours, and then trophies are given to the kids in each age group (4 and under, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, and 11 and 12) for largest and most fish, first, second and third places. The fish that are caught are returned to the lake and are wiser fish (or not and they get caught again). They also give out raffle prizes, like fishing poles, bait boxes, and more. When the kids sign in they get a free Fish For The Fun Of It t-shirt. Going three times every year for four years we now have a lot of those shirts.

For the last few years, I was the only one of the three of us that caught any fish, and I did not win any trophies. Ashley is now too old to be in it. This year, at the first park we decided to walk across a bridge to cut a corner and get to where the birds were. The only thing was the bridge went to an island. We decided to stay there though because it was shady. Two men from the Fishers of Men group that was helping out came over and helped us. It was a good thing too, because we caught a lot of fish and wouldn’t have known how to get the hooks out by ourselves.
That day I caught 6 fish (4 catfish, and 2 others) and Alyssa caught 5 (4 catfish, and 1 other). I got the first place trophy for most fish and the second place for largest. Alyssa got a second place trophy for most fish. Alyssa also got a bait bag in the raffle.

A cool part of the day for me was that I got to learn how to correctly hold a catfish. I carried one to the weighing table myself. I also learned that you can carry the other fish I caught by their mouths.

There is one girl who is one year younger than me and in the 9 and 10 age group this year that always gets first for most fish and somtimes first and second for largest. That time she caught 19 fish.

The next Saturday it was at a park with a big, big lake with a spillway. That day Alyssa caught 3 fish and I caught 2. One of the weighing people fed one of my fish to a bird that was standing there, looking at my fish. I would have gotten third place for most fish and Alyssa would have gotten second place for most fish, but my fish got counted as her fish (or something like that) and so we got first place for most fish in Alyssa’s age group. In the raffle, Alyssa got a fishing t-shirt. That time, the other girl got 28 fish.

The last Saturday was at our home park, Bear Creek. That time Dad came. Though we didn’t catch anything or win anything in the raffle, it was still fun. That time the other girl caught 86 fish. Dad saw how she did it, (in my mind cheating) with four poles (not borrowed from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Organization).

Even though next time the other girl will be in my group, and we might not catch anything, I think we will still have fun at Fish For The Fun Of It.