Local kids compete at Krug Park for Northside fishing derby

Jazmine Knight, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
Updated ·2 min read

May 11—The kids of St. Joseph cast their line in Krug Park Lagoon for the Northside Neighborhood Watch kids fishing derby.

The tournament style fishing event was created in honor of Dick Adkins who owned Dick's Bait and Tackle.

Kids (and adults) got the chance to indulge in peace and quiet as they cast their line and waited for the fish to grab on. This event served as a great chance for experienced fishers to spend time with family and first time fishermen to learn the tricks and trades behind fishing.

Kierstan McMullen, resident, says the event is great for bringing the community together and just a fun experience overall.

"There is a lot of competitive energy, but it's, you know, everybody is just getting their families out here, having some fun in the sun, just enjoying the scenery," McMullen said.

She says fishing with her family is one of her favorite things to do over the summer. She enjoys the serenity it brings and she's happy to see other families enjoying it too.

"I've seen a lot of other families just cheering each other on, just having a lot of fun with each other," she said.

Young fishermen, Montez and Trezdyn, say their favorite is catching fish. So far they caught four bluegills. However, Montez is still hoping to catch a catfish. For them, there's only one downside to fishing.

"It takes a long time," said Montez.

"Sometimes, it gets boring but I like holding the poles," Trezdyn said.

Another attendee, Myles Sturt, had plenty of luck when fishing at the event, catching about six or seven fish only halfway through the event.

"It's really fun, catching fish and stuff," Sturt said.

The biggest fish he caught at Krug Park was about eight ounces. However, the biggest fish he's ever caught was a seven or eight pound catfish. Sturt's only downfall to fishing is breaking a lot of poles.

"One of them's already broken right now," he said.

Despite the broken poles, Sturts says this is probably his favorite family fishing experiences because all of his family is in attendance and having a great time.