Colby Cater, 5, waited patiently for a tug on his fishing rod. Surrounded by friends and family, his grin couldn’t have been any larger when he finally caught his prized fish.

This was the scene Saturday morning as Cabela’s King Kat Tournament hosted their annual Kid’s Rodeo. Area children came out in flocks to participate in catch-and-release fishing at East Selma City Fish Pond.

Darrell Van Vactor, president and CEO of Outdoor Promotions with Cabela’s King Kat Tournament Trails, said the Kid’s Rodeo provides an opportunity for children who may have never fished before to enjoy the outdoors.

“We run these tournaments all over the United States, and what we’ve found in recent years is that so many kids come from single parent homes,” Vactor said. “And maybe mom doesn’t know how to fish, so she doesn’t teach the youngsters, but if they bring them out here then our guys and other community members will teach them.”

Several members of the Selma Fire Department could be seen around the pond teaching children as young as 4 how to bait a hook and rig a line.

Maxine Tarver, who brought her two sons — Jalen and Jeremy — said this was her first time taking her children fishing, and judging from how much they’ve enjoyed it, she’ll probably take them back to fish again.

“They are really enjoying this,” Tarver said. “It’s relaxing and it’s just something really fun for them to experience.”

Elton Reece, director of the Selma Parks and Recreation Department, said the best thing about the Kid’s Rodeo was simply “hearing them squeal when they reeled in their first fish.”

“It just makes your day,” Reece said of seeing all the children out at the pond. “For a lot of these kids, this is the first time they’ve ever been fishing. Half of them came here with their reels and rods still in the packaging.”

Across the pond, Breneila Gilliam, 4, enjoyed fishing with her pink fishing rod. Breneilia came to the rodeo with her father, David.

“This is her first time fishing and she’s having so much fun,” David said while helping his daughter hook a worm to her fishing rod.  “I’m glad we decided to come out and do this.”