June 5, 2004
Plains- Five year old Caleb Pless is proud of his string of 10 catfish, but he says he couldn't have done it without the help of one very important person.
"I went fishing with my grandaddy," Pless says.
They weren't the only ones out for a day at the pond. Nearly 315 children participated in the Plains Welcome Center's annual LeRoy Young Fishing Tournament.
"We started out with just maybe twenty-something kids seven years ago and this year is our record," says Welcome Center Manager Penny Smith.
That wasn't the only record set for the tournament. Some of the biggest catches of the day were reeled in by first-time fishers like 2 year old McKenzie Tidwell.
So how big was her fish? "18 and half inches," says her mom, Tara.
"It's a wonderful time for kids to get together with their family members or relatives and come and spend their time together and we like to say, take a kid fishing and catch a smile," says Smith.
Haley Plunkett couldn't stop smiling after she pulled an 18 inch catfish out of the pond and just one day before her 4th birthday.
How did she catch that big fish? "With my fishing pole," she answers.
Caleb may not have taken home a trophy...
"I'm going to go home and bake them, but my grandma got to clean them first," he says.
...but he's definitely the one to will put dinner on his family's table.
Those who caught the longest fish weren't the only ones to take home a prize. Each child who reeled in an albino fish received a $50 savings bond.
Posted at 3:10 PM by elaine.armstrong@walb.com
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