There is nothing like a kid with a catfish to produce a smile
King Kat Tournament Trail Kids Rodeos
The Catfish Gear column is normally reserved for one of our sponsors that provides anglers with gear of some sort. Given that this December issue is dedicated to youth catfishing, we are highlighting another CatfishNOW sponsor. Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s King Kat Tournament Trail understands the importance of developing young anglers and are committed to doing their part.
In a normal year the King Kat trail would conduct around 20 tournaments. Most of them would hold a Kid’s Rodeo on the Saturday morning of the tournament. The rodeos are free and all the youth anglers have to do is show up and register. Pre-tournament publicity announces the location where families can come to enjoy a couple of hours of fishing.
The free events are open to all youth 12 years old and younger when accompanied by an adult. Sign up is from 8:00 am until 9:00 am with fishing from 9:00 am until 11:00 am.
The Fishing Rodeos are provided to give children of the area an opportunity to get out and enjoy nature, do a little fishing, and win some prizes. Additionally, all participants are eligible for a chance to win one of several $1,000 scholarships presented annually by the sponsoring organization, Outdoor Promotions a nonprofit organization.
In addition to rodeo participation, any youth who fish in regularly scheduled trail events are also eligible for scholarships.
Outdoor Promotions fund the scholarships with money raised at the tournaments through raffles supported by King Kat sponsors. It is a real catfish family achievement. The sponsors donate products, the anglers buy raffle tickets, and the youth go fishing and win prizes at the local level while gaining an opportunity to win an educational scholarship.
Participating anglers have contributed more than $ $372,000 to youth scholarships since 1997.
“We are very proud to be a part of the education process for the youngsters who participate in the tournaments as adult/youth teams and those who fish in the Outdoor Promotions Kids Fishing Rodeos,” said Darrell Van Vactor, Operations Manager.
Note: If you see a King Kat tournament in your area you are invited to bring your kids out to the Kid’s Rodeo on Saturday morning of the tournament. You can check the 2021 King Kat schedule on their website at https://www.kingkatusa.com/. If your town is on their schedule you are welcome to attend the free Kid’s Rodeo.
