LAKE PARK — An upcoming fishing tournament will afford youth the chance to explore nature while learning skills they may not have known, Rachel Salyards said.

She is the program coordinator for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority.

The authority will host the annual Fishing Rodeo, 8 a.m., Sept. 22, at Grassy Pond. Registration will begin 7 a.m., and participants will fish either from a bank or a boat.

“There’s opportunity to learn how to fish and to bait a hook, just to get that experience to be outdoor in nature, active and trying something different,” Salyards said.

Hosted in partnership with Moody Air Force Base, the three competing divisions consist of ages 5-9, 10-14 and 15-18. Competitors will practice catch and release.

“To see the joy on their faces just when they catch the fish, and some of them never caught a fish, so it’s just that sheer joy of catching their first fish is an amazing thing to watch,” she said.

Steve Black, supervisory recreation specialist for Moody, said the rodeo will keep kids active.

“They are family oriented like we are, and they want to do things that promote healthy families, and that’s what we’re trying to do here also,” he said, referring to parks & rec.

Based on individual efforts, trophies will be presented to the winner for most fish and the winner for biggest fish in each division.

“Anything they catch counts towards their overall score,” Salyards said.

Salyards said though registration officially ends midnight Sept. 20, organizers will accept participants the day of the event. The fee is $5 per person and $3 for a boat launch.

Teens ages 16 and older must have a Georgia fishing license before the rodeo, according to organizers.

Registration can be completed by calling (229) 259-3507 or visiting vlpra.com. Concessions will be available for purchase. Grassy Pond is located at 5360 Grassy Pond Road. 

Amanda Usher is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1274.