Kids and fishing. It's a time honored American tradition that the Arizona Wildlife Federation and their affiliate clubs strongly support.

In early June, in support of National Fishing Week, the Arizona Wildlife Federation and the organization's newest affiliate club from Mohave County, the Kingman Bass Club, co-sponsored an event that resulted in 50 kids having the opportunity to try their luck at bass fishing.

It was called simply "Kids Fishing Day" and as the name implies, it was a time dedicated to letting kids go out and participate in a sport that we all love.

Besides willing kids, the first thing you need to have a successful fishing day is a place for those kids to fish. That situation was handled with the cooperation of one of the local ranchers- Anita Waite owns the Cane Springs Ranch, which is located about 40 miles south of Kingman. Anita is a firm believer of multiple use on public lands and is recognized as a good steward of the land.

At her ranch headquarters, which is on private property, she has a small, spring fed pond. In the pond are hundreds of hungry largemouth bass. Anita graciously allowed the AWF/KBC to use her ranch and pond to facilitate the event.

Others stepped forward to make the event a huge success. The City of Kingman provided a van for transportation for some of the young anglers.

Wal-Mart stepped up with a donation of 24 rod and reel combinations. Coleman Products donated several rod and reels combinations. Canyon Plastics, Yamamoto Lures and Action Lures combined to donate hundreds of plastic lures.

Grocery stores, including Bashas and Smith Food & Drug provided soft drinks for the thirsty anglers and their entourage.

Whenever you get that many kids and their parents/guardians together, someone is going to be hungry. AWF's support for this event came in the form of an all-you-could-eat barbecue for event participants. No one walked away hungry from the feed, which featured mesquite broiled burgers with all the fixin’s and cake for dessert. The master of ceremonies was Chuck Treebrook, the host of a regional fishing show called "The American Fisherman." Treebrook is also a strong supporter of youth activities like Kids Fishing Day. Treebrook presented awards, including a free fishing trip with professional bass fisherman Mark Kile and a free guided fishing trip with Treebrook at Lees Ferry, to some very happy Kingman kids.

You might wonder how the kid's did in their battles with Mr. Bucketmouth. Actually, they faired well. 90 bass were brought to the scales, including several lunkers that weighed over two pounds. And after being weighed, they were released back into the pond. The Kingman Bass Club practices catch-and-release at their tournaments, and they wanted the kids to participate in this conservation technique.

With the backing of the Kingman community and a multitude of private and corporate sponsors, the event was a huge success. Not one kid walked away empty handed. Everyone had prizes and smiles on their faces.

The Kids Fishing Day provided a fun-filled outdoor fishing experience for some great kids. Due to the efforts of affiliate clubs like the Kingman Bass Club and AWF's strong commitment to conservation projects and programs like this, AWF will continue to be recognized as a leader of conservation minded sportsmen in Arizona.