Kiwanians to hold Kids’ Fishing Derby
The 29th annual Free Kids’ Fishing Derby will take place on Saturday for children and teens.
Hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral, the event will take place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Cape Coral Yacht Club fishing pier. The derby is open to all youths between the ages of 5 and 15.
Advance registration is not required to participate.
“Just show up,” Pam Woodruff, who coordinates the event with her husband, said.
“But they need to be accompanied by an adult,” she added.
Check in will begin before 8:30 a.m. at the pier.
“They get a free rod and reel to keep,” Woodruff said.
“They get free bait and any help that they need,” she added.
Last year, approximately 200 children took part.
They are anticipating about 250 participants this year.
“We see new people every year, but we also see people that come every year,” Woodruff said.
“It’s really gotten to be an event that the community looks forward to,” she added.
At the end of the derby, awards will be handed out for the smallest fish caught, for the biggest fish caught and for the most fish caught. They will be given to one boy and one girl in each category.
“We give out trophies,” Woodruff said.
For the first time, a single additional award will be given this year.
“We have a special new award for the most unusual catch,” she said, adding that the idea for the new award stemmed from last year’s derby when a participant reeled in a child-sized lawn chair.
In 2016, the biggest fish measured 15 inches and the smallest measured 1-3/4 inches.
Woodruff noted that six fish was the most fish caught last year.
Each of the participants will also receive a ticket for a chance to win a prize, including free tickets to Sun Splash Family Waterpark, Zoomers Amusement Park in Fort Myers and Sky Zone Fort Myers.
“We have donations,” she said. “We give out prizes.”
Another first, Capt. Russ Walker of Tide Walker Charters has offered his services.
“He’s donating a four-hour charter fishing trip for three kids and a chaperone,” Woodruff said.
The package is valued at $400.
“It’s awesome,” she said. “He’s going to start doing it annually.”
Volunteers will help bait the hooks and offer general fishing guidance.
“It’s a whole community event,” Woodruff said. “We just get so much help.”
Woodruff and her husband, Dave, took over the annual derby last year. For the first 27 years, the event was organized by fellow Kiwanian Wally Laumeyer, who started it as an opportunity for local youth.
“Kiwanis wants to get kids hooked on fishing,” she said, adding that the goal is for participants to develop fishing as a lifetime hobby. “One way to do that is to give them a rod and reel to keep.”
“We’re here in Cape Coral to help children,” Woodruff added.
The club meets monthly on the first Wednesday at the Kiwanis Hall, at 360 Santa Barbara Blvd.
“Anyone is welcome to come,” she said of the meetings.
The club also runs two thrift stores in the Cape.
For more information, call 239-848-8844 or visit: mycapecoralkiwanis.org.
The Cape Coral Yacht Club is at 5819 Driftwood Parkway.