Fishing coaches needed in Chico on May 30

Steve Carson · Post by **Steve Carson** » Wed May 27, 2009 6:18 pm

All,
This Saturday, May 30 will be the big "Hooked on Fishing, not on Drugs" children's fishing event in Chico, to held at Horseshoe Lake in Upper Bidwell Park from 7 AM to 1 PM.
We expect as many as 4,100 children [true!] to show up to catch thier first fish, and are stocking over 10,000 pounds of catfish to help them do it.
We need as many experienced anglers as we can possibly get to help the children, if we had 100 additional bass anglers show up it would not be too many!
Even if you can't be there first thing, when the bite slows down around 10:00, we need to "hot sticks' even more!
The Chico Bass Club will even reward any kid who catches one of the lake's resident bass population with a new rod for a live release.
We don't need your money, your boat, or your expensive tackle, just YOU with a pair of pliers and a smile for the kids.
There truly is no other fishing event like this anywhere, and it is the perfect opportunity to give something back to the sport we all love.

Steve Carson · Post by **Steve Carson** » Thu May 28, 2009 7:05 am

Steve Carson · Post by **Steve Carson** » Thu May 28, 2009 11:58 am

To answer a few questions I have gotten via PM, we have plenty of loaner rods and extra tackle.
The main duty you would have is showing kids how to put a nightcrawler on a hook, how to cast [mostly push-button gear], how to set the hook, and handle the fish when caught.
Helping them hold it while parents snap photos, etc.
It is truly amazing how little the general public knows about fishing, a gentle but knowledgeable hand is a huge help.
We have plenty of volunteers who will help with logistics, drive the shuttle, etc, but they recoil in horror at the prospect of "touching worms".
Getting as much help as possible from the "fishing community" is key, since the massive throng of kids totally overwhelms the ability of the Chico Bass Club and Chico Area Flyfishers to handle them.
Lucky for us the Rotary Club takes on the task of cleaning the thousands of catfish the kids will catch, that's a job I really don't want to do!

Steve Carson · Post by **Steve Carson** » Fri May 29, 2009 5:02 am

Many thanks to those who helped us rig up the 600 loaner rods in record time last night.
Hope to see many of you tomorrow at Horseshoe Lake.
Feel free to PM me at scarson@sunset.net if you have questions, I will be checking my e-mail sporadically today, will mostly be setting up awnings, etc.