The Moline Conservation Club, Second Responders, and Crime Stoppers are hosting their annual Children’s Fishing Rodeo on Saturday, June 4 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Riverside Park Lagoon, 3300 Fifth Avenue in Moline.
Richard Ehen of the Moline Conservation Club is delighted with the return of the rodeo. “We haven’t had it for two years because of Covid, but the year before we had 150 kids, they just came out of the woodwork. It’s a good community event.
Modern Woodmen offers a lunch of hot dogs and soft drinks to attendees. There will be a casting contest where children can win prizes, including bikes, in the boys’ and girls’ divisions.
The rodeo is open to children ages 5 to 15 as no fishing license is required for them. Only persons 16 and older are required to have a fishing license under Illinois law. A parent or guardian must be with participants, who are encouraged to bring fishing rods, tackle, bait, a positive attitude and smiles.
Pre-registration is not necessary, says Ehren. “We just want them to show up and fish.” Fishermen don’t even have to leave their favored spots to weigh their catch. “People will come out with buckets of water to put the fish in and walk them to the weigh stations.”
The rodeo means as much to Ehen as it does to the children who attend. “People come up to me on the street and say, ‘You taught my grandson how to fish.’
For more information, email Ehen at [email protected]
