MONTICELLO - Some anglers had a little more luck than others at the Monroe Optimist Club's annual fishing trip to Lake Montesian Saturday.
Kaden Steinbach, 9, Monticello, caught 14 blue gills in about an hour. He's an experienced fisherman, however.
"I've been fishing since I was 3," he said.
Being from Monticello, and having fished in the lake before, he may have had the upper hand when it came to finding the best fishing spots.
"I catch a lot of them by the shore," he smiled.
The Optimist Club has taken kids to Lake Montesian for about 20 years, club member Tom Kundert said.
"It's a fun time, and it's fun to watch the kids," he said.
No experience was necessary to have a good time. Volunteers helped kids bait their hooks and cast in their lines. They also stood by to help anyone who caught a fish but had trouble removing it from the hook.
It was up to the kids to decide if they wanted to take their fish home or put them back in the lake.
"We try to talk them into putting the fish back," Kundert laughed. "That way their parents don't have to mess with them."
Felicity Short, 9, Monroe, stood on the bridge to cast her line. After her first attempt hooked the other side of the bridge, she moved closer to the lake. Her efforts paid off when she reeled in a fish. It might have been the size of a small candy bar, but she was still excited.
"I caught one," she yelled to her friend, Hailey Rugg, 8, Monroe.
While not everyone caught a fish, some of the kids learned the importance of telling about the fish that get away.
"I had one this big that got away," Austin Blumer, 10, Monticello, said as he held his hands about a foot apart.
Kaden Steinbach, 9, Monticello, caught 14 blue gills in about an hour. He's an experienced fisherman, however.
"I've been fishing since I was 3," he said.
Being from Monticello, and having fished in the lake before, he may have had the upper hand when it came to finding the best fishing spots.
"I catch a lot of them by the shore," he smiled.
The Optimist Club has taken kids to Lake Montesian for about 20 years, club member Tom Kundert said.
"It's a fun time, and it's fun to watch the kids," he said.
No experience was necessary to have a good time. Volunteers helped kids bait their hooks and cast in their lines. They also stood by to help anyone who caught a fish but had trouble removing it from the hook.
It was up to the kids to decide if they wanted to take their fish home or put them back in the lake.
"We try to talk them into putting the fish back," Kundert laughed. "That way their parents don't have to mess with them."
Felicity Short, 9, Monroe, stood on the bridge to cast her line. After her first attempt hooked the other side of the bridge, she moved closer to the lake. Her efforts paid off when she reeled in a fish. It might have been the size of a small candy bar, but she was still excited.
"I caught one," she yelled to her friend, Hailey Rugg, 8, Monroe.
While not everyone caught a fish, some of the kids learned the importance of telling about the fish that get away.
"I had one this big that got away," Austin Blumer, 10, Monticello, said as he held his hands about a foot apart.