COURTESY OF HOMETOWN FOCUS 5th annual Let’s Take a Kid Fishing on LV Getting kids HOOKED on a fishing habit at Lake Vermilion By Cindy Kujala HTF Staff Writer COURTESY OF HOMETOWN FOCUS We want to get kids hooked on a habit – FISHING! That’s the goal of the various sponsors of the 5th annual Let’s Take a Kid Fishing event held at Frazer Bay Boat Landing on Lake Vermilion on Wednesday, July 16. The event is sponsored by many local organizations, businesses and a contingent of volunteers. Up to 100 kids between the ages of 10 and 15 were invited to participate in this free event. Area fishing guides and other fishermen were on-hand to take the kids out on Lake Vermilion for an afternoon of fishing. Most of the boats went out with two kids. A few boats took three kids. Before that, though, was a quick check-in process at which time the kids were given their assigned boat number. They were also given a free bright blue Take a Kid Fishing baseball cap and a Take a Kid Fishing t-shirt, as well as a free bobber and information about invasive species. About all they were required to bring with them with a life vest, but if they didn’t have a life vest, one would be provided for them. Even bottled water was handed out as the boats were loaded after a lesson on water safety and flotation devices by a Minnesota Conservation Officer. Tyler LaMourea, age 10 of Mt. Iron, and his fishing guide display the 42 inch, 26 pound muskie that Tyler caught. Submitted photo. Tyler LaMourea, age 10 of Mt. Iron, and his fishing guide display the 42 inch, 26 pound muskie that Tyler caught. Submitted photo. Other safety measures in place included the Cook Area Ambulance resting idly in the parking lot and both a Lake Vermilion Fire Brigade boat and a Greenwood Fire Rescue boat anchored near shore. The weather was beautiful for this kids’ fishing event, with blue skies and scattered puffy white clouds. The temperature was warm without being too hot. The nice weather was courtesy of Ben Dery, WDIO meteorologist (or so he joked). Dery was on-hand throughout the day and emceed the evening’s announcements and various prize drawings. WTBX 93.9 FM / Radio USA 99.9 were broadcasting and many of the young participants had the chance to be interviewed and tell about their day on the lake. Fortune Bay Resort Casino served a free shore lunch at the end of the day. Photo by Cindy Kujala. Fortune Bay Resort Casino served a free shore lunch at the end of the day. Photo by Cindy Kujala. Tyler LaMourea, a 10-year-old fishing participant from Mt. Iron, mistook Ben Dery for WDIO chief meteorologist, Justin Liles. Tyler asked if he could have his picture taken with the person he thought was Justin Liles. When Ben Dery corrected him and said that he was Ben Dery, not Justin Liles, Tyler said, “That’s okay.” Having his picture taken with Ben Dery worked too. I don’t know if it was the biggest fish of the day or not, but Tyler hauled in a whopping 42 inch, 26 pound muskie. The Minnesota DNR website describes the muskie as one of the largest and most elusive fish that swims in Minnesota. Tyler is the son of Jeremy and Tara LaMourea. Congratulations Tyler! Volunteers get registration tables ready at the kids’ fishing event. Photo by Cindy Kujala. Volunteers get registration tables ready at the kids’ fishing event. Photo by Cindy Kujala. I brought my 13-year-old great nephew, David Anderson, to fish the event. He caught two walleye, one about 14-inches and the other one smaller. His two fish were the only fish caught in his boat of three kids. Both the kids who participated in the fishing event and their parents, grandparents, friends or others who got them to Lake Vermilion that day were treated to a evening shore lunch of fresh walleye and all the fixing after the kids’ day on the lake. The shore lunch was courtesy of Fortune Bay Resort Casino, who also provided tents, tables and chairs, labor and golf packages for the raffle. Volunteers in bright orange Take a Kid Fishing t-shirts served up the meal which included watermelon and brownies for dessert. Back on shore, volunteers were busying filleting the fish brought in while those who caught the fish stood nearby waiting for the fish they’d bring home with them that night. Other sponsors of the event included the Lake Vermilion Resort Association, the Lake Vermilion Sportsman Club, the Tower Firemen’s Relief Fund and North Star Printing. The Cook Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Vermilion Chamber of Commerce were among the sponsors of the Cook/ Tower Let’s Take A Kid Fishing Raffle that gave away $5,000 worth of cash and prizes. (I was one of the lucky raffle winners. I won one of seven half-day guide trips from the Lake Vermilion Guide League and am pretty excited about that.) There were some great prize drawings for the fishing participants also, including two Minnesota lifetime fishing licenses. At the end of the day, all of the kids also received a free rod and reel, as well as a tackle kit to make sure they could continue fishing after the day’s event. What a special day for these kids. In 2010 when the event began, 41 kids participated. That was followed by 76 kids the next year. Now it has grown so up to 100 kids had the chance to participate which means scores of boats and guides and volunteers and sponsorship. Some of these kids likely have other fishing opportunities, others probably don’t. As written on the Let’s Take a Kid Fishing website, what better way to share the sport of fishing with the fishermen of tomorrow? A day with generous people sharing their love of a great sport, on a great July day on one of the greatest lakes in the land with 10,000 of them. Here’s hoping those kids did, in fact, get hooked on a habit of fishing.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 01:36:06 +0000