As the weather warms up, many children and adults begin looking for opportunities to get outside.
All that time stuck indoors during cold and blistery nights surely makes people long for adventure.
Well, for those near the Capital City, LDWF has the perfect remedy with its fourth installment of our Get Out and Fish! series.
This time, Burbank Park in Baton Rouge is the center of our fishing universe, on Saturday, April 23.
Leading up to the free shore-fishing event, LDWF and BREC will partner to stock 1,000 pounds of channel catfish into this urban waterbody. Centrally located in Baton Rouge, Burbank Park is easily accessible from any part of the city.
Click here to pre-register. Weigh-in ends at 11 a.m., and the awards ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. Activities between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. include demonstrations by BREC and LDWF staff and volunteers on baiting hooks and catching, cleaning and cooking catfish.
“It’s a good, all-around educational opportunity,” said LDWF Outreach Coordinator Danica Williams. “If you’re not an experienced fisherman, don’t let that stop you from getting out there.”
Free lunch between 10 a.m. and noon will be provided by the BREC Foundation.
Participants must provide their own fishing gear, tackle and cooler, and those 16 and older must have a valid Louisiana fishing license.
We are encouraging all anglers to post their catch to social media. Signs will be erected around the lake with details and to serve as reminders. Williams explained this helps LDWF keep track of the benefits of our community fishing programs throughout the state.
Girard Park in Lafayette, Zemurray Park in Hammond and Sidney Torres Park in Chalmette have all previously held events as part of the program.
LDWF is constantly looking for other statewide waterbodies to join this program. Requirements include a family-friendly, safe area that is open to the public with restrooms and ample parking. The commission that oversees the waterbody must also purchase fish for at least two stockings.
“The goal of Get Out and Fish! is to establish a community fishing pond in every parish, stocked with fish,” Williams said. “If you’re planning a trip to go fishing nowadays, you assume you’re probably going to have to travel a good ways to locate a good spot. Having a place close to home where you can bring the kids should be a huge motivator in getting families and friends fishing.”
Anyone looking for more information on the April 23 Burbank Park event or the Get Out and Fish! initiative is encouraged to contact Williams at (504) 628-7282.
Click here for directions to Burbank Park.
