Hey, kids! Let’s go fishing!

It’s time for the annual Lake Eaton Kids’ Fishing Derby at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Ocala Conservation Center and Youth Camp. The derby, for children ages 6-12, will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 4. The kids will fish from a pier.

Advance registration is required and space is limited to the first 100 children. To sign up, call the FWC’s Northeast Regional Office in Ocala at 352-732-1225, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Ocala Conservation Center is 8.5 miles north of State Road 40 off County Road 314 in the Ocala National Forest.

Everything needed to participate, including cane poles, bait and instruction, will be provided by the FWC. For safety reasons and to avoid tangled lines, participants are asked to refrain from bringing their own rod and reel to this event.

In addition to fishing, there will be a casting contest, an arts and crafts activity and the annual crowd-favorite activity “Bugs and Critters.” In “Bugs and Critters,” participants wade into the lake with dip nets and scoop up fish, bugs and other aquatic critters while an FWC biologist teaches participants about the aquatic ecosystem. Participants will get wet during this activity, so they are encouraged to bring a change of clothes and closed-toe footwear.

Call the FWC’s Northeast Regional Office in Ocala at 352-732-1225 for more information.

Media contact: Greg Workman, 352-620-7335