MONTICELLO - Fishing and friendship were prominent Saturday on the banks of Lake Montesian.
Whether they were first-time fishermen or seasoned veterans, the Monroe Morning Optimist Club's annual fisheree brought kids to Monticello to do a little fishing and enjoy being outdoors.
For the first-timers, there was some instruction about how to put a worm on a hook and how to cast. There also were a few tips about how not to hook an adult standing behind them.
About 30 kids tried their luck. Some of them had more success than others.
Michael Lange, 7, Monroe, caught his fifth fish of the day before 11:30 a.m. He proudly held it up high for volunteer helper George Breadon to see. It was a little fish, but Michael was sure it would be enough for lunch.
"We told the kids we would eat what we caught, but we're really having hot dogs," Breadon said with a laugh, as Michael walked away to put his fish in a bucket.
Javier Cifuentes, 11, Monroe, cast his line into the water and waited to see if a fish would come. Saturday was the first time he ever fished.
The hardest part, he said, was learning how to cast. Once he got the hang of it, it was pretty easy, he said.
"This is something I'm going to do again," he smiled as he watched the bobber in the water to see if a fish had taken the worm from his hook.
"Here, let me cast once," Kaylin Eminger, 9, Monroe, told him after a couple of minutes.
She's a veteran when it comes to catching fish. She's been fishing before, she said.
"I bait my own hook," she said.
While most people get pretty good at telling fish stories, Kaylin told the truth when she told about the biggest fish she ever caught.
"It was a 3-foot long, 3-pound bass" she said.
For most of the kids, the fishing trip wasn't a success because they caught buckets of fish, but because they got to try their luck, eat food and have fun.
Whether they were first-time fishermen or seasoned veterans, the Monroe Morning Optimist Club's annual fisheree brought kids to Monticello to do a little fishing and enjoy being outdoors.
For the first-timers, there was some instruction about how to put a worm on a hook and how to cast. There also were a few tips about how not to hook an adult standing behind them.
About 30 kids tried their luck. Some of them had more success than others.
Michael Lange, 7, Monroe, caught his fifth fish of the day before 11:30 a.m. He proudly held it up high for volunteer helper George Breadon to see. It was a little fish, but Michael was sure it would be enough for lunch.
"We told the kids we would eat what we caught, but we're really having hot dogs," Breadon said with a laugh, as Michael walked away to put his fish in a bucket.
Javier Cifuentes, 11, Monroe, cast his line into the water and waited to see if a fish would come. Saturday was the first time he ever fished.
The hardest part, he said, was learning how to cast. Once he got the hang of it, it was pretty easy, he said.
"This is something I'm going to do again," he smiled as he watched the bobber in the water to see if a fish had taken the worm from his hook.
"Here, let me cast once," Kaylin Eminger, 9, Monroe, told him after a couple of minutes.
She's a veteran when it comes to catching fish. She's been fishing before, she said.
"I bait my own hook," she said.
While most people get pretty good at telling fish stories, Kaylin told the truth when she told about the biggest fish she ever caught.
"It was a 3-foot long, 3-pound bass" she said.
For most of the kids, the fishing trip wasn't a success because they caught buckets of fish, but because they got to try their luck, eat food and have fun.