Kids Day Of ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) Believe it or not, it was a day filled with fierce competition and perilious snakes. It was a day where a youngster went fishing indoors to snare the grand prize— a 4i4 pound trout and he’s only four years old! And the adventure happened last Saturday at the Lancaster Sports and Outdoor Show at the Host Resort Sports Complex. You had to be there to believe it Too young to compete in the Bass Master Casting Kids competi tion, Andrew Gory walked away, head down, from the event, which features a prize Zebco rod and reel combination for two age groups. He was simply too young to com pete. But Andrew, 4, with his dad, Scott, was determined to bag a fish. So he grabbed a reel and, within moments after dipping it into a large pool, hauled out a whopping 4'A pound trout, mea suring about 12 inches long, the largest in the Trout Fishing Demonstration pool at a booth sponsored by Outdoor Marketing Productions, Cortland, Ohio. Andrew nodded “yes” when asked if he had extensive fishing experience. But, after placing the line back in the pool, he tried his hand again anyway. (As of presstime, we didn’t know if he snared another.) At about the same time. Joe Sof chek, who manned the booth, brought out a 4-year-old Burmese Python. “It eats rats,” Sofchek said, allowing the children to feel the snake’s pliable, vinyl-like skid. He told those who petted the snake that it is getting ready to shed. And wait! Off in the comer, Jake Goodyear, 7, ia assisted by Capitol Chapter of Bass* Masters youth director Scot Neely. Outdoor Adventure Fills Sports Complex helping competitors during the Casting Kids demonstration, was someone hardly anyone recog nized. Who was this man clad in the pearl-white Team Daiwa sportshirt? It was Scot Neely, youth direc tor of the Capitol Chapter of Bass- Masters. He was checking out how the Lancaster Chapter ran its show, taking notes, and hoping to incor porate some of the many success ful ways the contest is run so the Capitol chapter can stage their own competition. Sources told us that the Capitol Chapter is going to hold a Casting- Kids competition just like in Lan caster. The club, in Highspire, plans to stage the competition in Harrisburg in September. If you want to know more, call Neely at (717) 789-4519. In the Casting Kids competition, youth ages seven to 14 held a spin casting reel fitted with a VI -ounce Berkley “jig” lure with a plastic crawl on it that resembles a cray fish. The barb is cut off, for safe ty’s sake. The crayfish is just one of many favorite meals that bass like to eat, according to Bob Ober ly, who helped with the competition. Kids launched the lure to strike the Bass Masters target. The center scored SO points, and the concentr ic circles scored from 40 on down. Each competitor had two attempts from three separate distances —lO feet, 20 feet, and 30 feet. At 10 feet, kids have to cast the lure. At 20 feet, competitors have to pitch the lure to the target. At 30 feet, kids have to flip the lure. The three highest scores are totalled. The competititors with the highest score from the separate age divisions (age 7-10 and age Korner 11-14) won the special rod and reel prize. Also, the winners qualify for state competition in March at Stage College. The state winner goes to regional competition in June. The regional winner quali fies for the national competition at the Bass Masters Classic in August. This year, because of good weather, there was a huge turnout, according to Ken Keener, presi dent of the Lancaster County Chapter of Bass Masters. Winners of the Lancaster Cas ting Kids event were, in the 11-14 year old category, Steven Enck, 14, Manheim. There was a tie in the 7-10 year old category between Andrew Buffenmyer and Michael Berzulli. Hie castoff winner was Andrew Buffenmyer. Too young to compete, so go for the fish anyway. Andrew Gory, 4, caught a AVt pound trout at the outdoor show. Melissa Wassner, 8, Reading, left, fishes fortrout in the big Indoor tank at the sports complex. Jake Wilkinson is helping. Melissa says her brother, Matthew, 10, caught a 10-lnch trout that day. Burmese Pythons eat rats! Joe Sofchek, who manned the Outdoor Marketing Productions booth at the sports Show, holds on to a 4-year-old python that Is “getting ready to shed some skin.” Steve Enck, Manhelm, 14, left gets Instructions from Bob Oberly at the CastlngKlds competition. Steve took home the grand prize In the age 11*14 category. & " &*•”*> , V,*;-
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