Dayton Take Kids Fishing Day anglers smile on Lakeside Lake’s fishing pier. Local union members and other volunteers have worked hard over the years to improve public access to the lake.
Dayton Hosts Successful Take Kids Fishing Day
DAYTON, Ohio – Attendance reached triple figures at the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s (USA) 2024 Dayton Take Kids Fishing Day July 27 at Lakeside Lake.
With the sun shining, 103 youth anglers caught largemouth bass and hybrid bluegill with the guidance of union volunteers like David Lawson and Diane Walsh.
A part of a series of free, community-based youth outreach activities organized under the USA’s Work Boots on the Ground conservation program, Take Kids Fishing Day served as an introduction to fishing for many participants. Each youth in attendance took home a free rod and reel.
A family enjoys spending time outside together. Each participant received a free fishing rod and reel to take home at the 2024 Dayton Take Kids Fishing Day.
There was plenty of celebration, excitement and positive reinforcement by families to go around while youths reeled in fish.
“They squealed like babies,” Dayton AFL-CIO Executive Secretary/Director Walsh said. “They were just so tickled that they caught the fish on their pole. It’s kind of neat. There was one where the fish was probably three inches long. You would’ve thought it was three feet long the way this little girl reacted. When you get there, it’s a lot of work. And then, when you see that little face smiling or squealing, and they are so excited, then you think, ‘That’s why I do it.’”
Lawson, the event’s committee chair and a member of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 162, said in addition to fishing skills, attendees learned how to conserve the environment.
“I think it’s good to get kids outdoors early like this, so they can appreciate what they have and what’s out there,” he said. “We kind of stressed to them what to do with their trash and to make sure they picked up their worm cups and anything else. If they saw trash on the ground, I noticed they were picking that up, too. It didn’t have to be just their trash.”
A family enjoys fishing on Lakeside Lake, the location of Dayton’s Take Kids Fishing Day. Participants enjoyed great weather conditions and fun on July 27.
Take Kids Fishing Day “makes your heart feel good,” according to Walsh.
“I’m proud of how we had a partnership and introduced kids to fishing,” she said. “It’s something we were able to share with the community, and this could be a lifelong change for a lot of kids where they’ll want to do it again.”
A youth angler displays her fish at Lakeside Lake.
