By Brittany Anderson
BUDA — It was a successful day of fishing for some of Buda’s youngest anglers.
The 13th annual Buda Fun Fish took place at Bradfield Village Pond on June 4, where dozens of kids lined up against the pond to show off their fishing skills and vie for one of the five awards.
Parents and grandparents supported their young anglers and kids of all ages enjoyed participating in the Buda Fun Fish.
The event, with support from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the city of Buda and many sponsors and volunteers, was first started over a decade ago by Vincent Lecca on a “shoestring budget” when he was a volunteer for TPWD. Lecca said his goal with Fun Fish is to give back to his community, share his passion for fishing to kids of all ages and keep communities connected with outdoor activities.
“We’re here to get your kids outside, off of electronics, educate them about conservation and different activities and organizations in their community, and of course, educate them about fishing,” Lecca said.
Once the hour-long derby began, anglers were instructed to yell ‘fish on’ if they hooked a fish. One of the event volunteers would then help safely retrieve the fish, record information on its size and the angler who caught it, and release it back into the water.
Five engraved trophies were given out for best dressed angler one and two (a matching father-daughter outfit and a Cub Scout uniform), most fish caught (14), largest fish (an 11 inch largemouth bass), and the biggest trophy for the most contentious award, smallest fish (a 3.25 inch sunfish). Each award also came with a ‘swag bag’ with items like a tackle box, hat, dry bag and fly fishing gear.
Extra raffle prizes were also won by a handful of anglers, with gift cards and certificates for businesses ranging from $5 to $50. There were also educational how-to stations before the derby began.
June 4 also happened to mark Free Fishing Day in Texas. Every year, on the first Saturday in June, Texas residents can fish in public, state-owned bodies of water without needing the usual required license, permit or endorsement.
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