MOUNT VERNON – The Knox County Park District is calling all anglers-in-training to participate in the second annual Youth Fishing Tournament, again hosted virtually as a COVID-19 pandemic precaution.
Katie Hux, tournament director for the Knox County Park District, said that the district sponsored six tournaments last summer, with approximately 20 young anglers in each.
"The idea behind the tournament was to host a youth event without gathering as a group and maintaining safety protocols during the pandemic," Hux told the Mount Vernon News. "This year, we hope to have even more join the tournaments as we still maintain the safety protocols."
The tournament is open to fishermen seven through 18 years old, and will be hosted through a mobile app called Fish Donkey. To participate, anglers should download the app and create an account (with parental assistance, if necessary) where they then can sign up for any or all of the tournaments this summer.
Participants should then register with the Park District at knoxcountyparks.org at least 48 hours before each tournament. Once there, anglers should take note of the Ariel-Foundation Park Fish Survey, which will collect data on location and species of catches to create a map of specific fish access points in local water bodies.
The tournament is free to participants; the cost of entry is covered by the Park District and its co-sponsors.
Hux explained the scoring procedure in a virtual fishing tournament.
"Prizes are awarded based on six longest fish in the following categories: smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, carp, catfish, bluegill, and any other fish," she said. "As an angler catches a fish, he/she is asked to measuring the fish on a measuring device and take a picture through the mobile app."
Hux looks at each submission herself to approve them. The results are then posted to a live scoreboard for the young anglers to see how they measure up to their competitors for the day.
"At the conclusion of the tournament events, a grand-prize drawing will take place for those who have participated in the tournaments," Hux said. "Participate in all six and you will have six entries into the drawing."
The Park District is partnered with Ariel-Foundation Park, the Kokosing Valley Jr. Anglers Youth Fishing Club and THR Creekside Home Inspections for sponsorship of the event and tournament prizes.
