Derby now older than most of its junior anglers
With only slight modifications in place to ensure the health and safety of all participants, the annual Prosper Fishing Derby is set for Saturday, March 6th at the pond at Frontier Park starting at 9:00am and concluding at 11:00am.
Started in 2010 and initially held at the pond at Whitley Place, the derby is now older than the majority of the junior anglers who will be competing for prizes. While fishing is open to anyone with the proper equipment, prizes will be awarded in various categories to kids up to 14 years of age.
As always, the annual Prosper Fishing Derby is made possible by the generosity of businesses that sponsor it. This year, the event’s title sponsors are PondMedics (https://pondmedics.com) and Academy Sports and Outdoors (https://www.academy.com).
While registration is not required, participants are reminded to bring bait, a fishing pole, and for optimists, an ice cooler to transport their catches. In line with the Governor’s COVID-19 guidelines, accommodations will be made for social distancing and masks will be required for anyone over the age of 10.
As usual, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department https://tpwd.texas.gov will stock the pond with mostly rainbow trout and has granted the Town of Prosper an exemption to the fishing license and any stamp requirement for those who fish or volunteer for the event. Although the Derby is a catch-and keep event for trout only, with a limit of five per person, officials encourage families that will not be consuming the fish to treat it as catch-and-release.
“The Prosper Fishing Derby gives families the opportunity to spend time together having some old fashioned fun in a beautiful Prosper park,” said Dudley Raymond, Director of Parks and Recreation. “For many children, this is their first time to catch a fish and the excitement always makes for a memorable experience!”
Additional information about the Prosper Fishing Derby is available by contacting Trevor Helton, Recreation Supervisor, at thelton@prospertx.gov or by calling 972-569-1064.
The Prosper Fishing Derby is one of several events and programs conducted by the Prosper Parks and Recreation Department throughout the year to promote family and neighbor interaction in community parks. Recreational camps and classes for adults and children, and programs for Active Adults 55+ are also conducted. For the latest news about Town programs, please visit the Parks and Recreation Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ProsperParksandRec/ or http://www.prosperparksandrec.org.
