It’s time for the children of Dallas County to start practicing their cast and baiting their hooks, because come Saturday, all area youth ages 12 and younger have the opportunity to participate in the Cabela’s King Kat Kids event. The free event will be held at the East Selma City Fish Pond, located at 501 Plant St. in Selma, and registration starts at 8 a.m.

Elton Reece, director of the Selma Parks and Recreation Department, said the city council along with the mayor has stocked the two-acre pond with catfish and tilapia.

Children need to bring their own fishing pole and bait and will catch and release fish from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“It’s a fun time for catch and release,” Reece said. “It gives a child a chance to spend time with his mom or his dad or grandparents for two hours to try and catch a catfish and just enjoy time together.”

Reece described the youth fishing rodeo as one of the highlights of the weekend, noting that last year 108 youth fishermen attended the event.

“It’s just an opportunity to put children and parents and grownups together,” he said. “It’s just a natural way to have a good time and enjoy what the Lord’s given us.”

Darrell Van Vactor, president and CEO of Outdoor Promotions with Cabela’s King Kat Tournament Trails, said the youth event will be held in conjunction with the $10,000 Super Event.

Van Vactor said he has a passion for putting on youth fishing rodeos, because he wants all children to have the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors.

“When we started our first program, Crappie USA, when we started it, I started the youth rodeos as a way to bring these youngsters out. Many of them come from single parent homes where they do not have someone in the home that can teach them to hunt or teach them to fish or things about the outdoors,” he said. “So that’s what these youth rodeo’s are about. Our staff is there and we can show them how to tie a knot and bait a hook, we can show them how to rig a line, in hopes that maybe that youngster will learn to fish and therefore spend a little more time outdoors.”

Van Vactor said that in addition to enjoying a day of fishing, all the youth who come and fish the rodeos have an opportunity to win a scholarship. He noted that in the past 13 years they’ve given out $316,000 in scholarships to children who fish the rodeos.

Every child who participates will receive a prize pack, plus there will be additional prizes for those who catch the most fish.

All children participating must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.