The day a lot of youngsters look forward to every spring is almost upon us -- Kids' Fish and Fun Day.
The annual event, dating back around four decades, is designed to get children ages 3-12 interested in fishing as simply as possible in a safe environment.
The event is sponsored annually by the Southeast Missouri Sportsman's Association, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service.
As it has been for the last several years, this year's event will be held Saturday at Don Jones' lake off Highway T, north of Poplar Bluff, Mo. The lake is about 2.7 miles north of Highway 60, and signs will be posted.
Several factors make this event perfect for introducing your youngster to fishing, including the ease of access. Jones' pond banks are well groomed, and there's plenty of space for everyone.
The lake is well stocked with catfish, bass, bluegills, redear sunfish, crappie and other species, so there's good potential to catch a nice variety of fish.
A great thing about the Fish and Fun Day is there is no cost to those who participate, and not only that, lunch is provided free as well.
Registration for this year's event begins at 7 a.m., with fishing starting at 8.
All bait will be provided, and minnows specifically are not allowed.
If you have your own fishing equipment, you're encouraged to bring it, but if you don't, there will be plenty of rods and reels available for loan.
If your young angler needs a break from fishing, staff from the Mark Twain National Forest will be hosting a casting accuracy contest on the nearby lawn.
As always, lots of door prizes will be given out, plus new this year, two kayaks will be won by a pair of lucky children. They must be present to win the kayaks.
The weather forecast looks like it could be a little rainy, so be prepared for it. As organizers like to say, the Fish and Fun Day has never been rained out.
If you need more information about the event or would like to help, give Randy Daves a call at 573-718-1790.
Time for
Trotlining
As you might imagine, crappie fishing hasn't been the greatest lately at Wappapello Lake.
"A few people tried last week and only caught a couple little ones," said Dallas Rich at Chaonia Landing. "They just aren't biting."
Bass anglers have had some success fishing near flooded treetops and brush, Rich noted.
What is biting well, Rich said, are catfish, and that's no surprise.
When the water is high and all the trees and buttonbush along the shoreline are flooded, it's a perfect time to try trotlining for catfish, and quite a few anglers are having good success doing so.
Small bluegills, goldfish and big worm balls are all productive baits, though if you're targeting flatheads, live fish are the preferred bait.
If you're trotlining, keep in mind the lake is falling several inches daily, and you need to make sure your lines aren't hanging high and dry. By law, you're supposed to check them at least every 24 hours, though it's pretty obvious some folks don't.
Also remember, you can't have more than 33 hooks in the water, and they must be at least 2 feet apart. That means you can have one trotline or 10 set out, as long as the total hook count is 33 or less. Another thing people forget to do is label their trotlines with their name and address, something they're required to do.
Trying alternative fishing spots might be a good idea for a while, until the area rivers and larger lakes stabilize.
Otter Lake at Otter Slough Conservation Area, Duck Creek Conservation Area's Pool 1 and farm ponds should all produce good catches as we wait for the other waters to get back to normal.
Tournaments
Canceled
Because of the high water, last weekend's Wappapello Crappie Club's His and Hers tournament was canceled.
If that event doesn't get rescheduled, the club's next tournament will be its "Take a Kid Fishing" event on June 17.
There were two bass tournaments scheduled for this weekend at Wappapello Lake, but one already has been canceled.
The Wappapello Bass Circuit called off Saturday's tournament, according to Justun Buchanan, but the organization is working to reschedule it to June 10, if possible.
The East Ozarks Bass Club, as far as I can tell, still has a tournament scheduled for Sunday, based out of Chaonia Landing.
Fishing is slated to begin at 6 a.m., with weigh-in set for 2 p.m.
John Hickman is in charge of the club's events and can be reached at 573-631-2341.
Trap
Shoot
Finally, Poplar Bluff High School's trap team will be competing on the big stage at the World Shooting Complex in Sparta, Ill., this weekend during the Scholastic Clay Target Program regional shoot.
Hundreds of shooters will be on hand, so this will be a real test. Given how well the team has been shooting, I have confidence in them.