Look What I Caught!
Little Veronica Pupo, brave and fascinated, examines the shiny perch her big brother Santiago caught at the 2019 Lake Wedington Kids Fishing Derby on Saturday morning (June 22). Veronica's dad Guillermo Pupo, a grad student studying comparative literature at the University of Arkansas in nearby Fayetteville, said his baby girl is 18 months old.
Image by Crow's Cottage | 22 June 2019
Let's Go Fishing!
The 2019 Lake Wedington
Kids Fishing Derby
By Ebenezer Baldwin Bowles
1 July 2019
The wind was calm, the temperatures mild, and the spirits high when Wildlife Biologist Matt Lark looked out upon the assembled hopefuls and shouted, “Let's go fishing!”
Thus began a two-hour adventure along the gently sloping shores of Lake Wedington, where about fifty youngsters, parents, grandparents, and U.S. Forest Service volunteers experienced the joys and rewards of fishing during a mellow Saturday morning (June 22) in the lush and wilding hills of the Ozark Highlands.
By the time the snared fish were strung up, counted, weighed, and admired, an atmosphere of relaxed satisfaction and well-earned accomplishment had settled o'er the children and their keepers. By every measure, the 2019 Lake Wedington Kids Fishing Derby was a laid-back success.
'He Lives to Fish'
Lane Hamilton, skilled with rod 'n reel far beyond his eight years, displays a catfish he snagged from Lake Wedington at the Kids Fishing Derby. Faith Cleveland, who is Lane's loving “Gi Gi,” said her grandson “wakes up thinking about fishing and goes to sleep thinking about fishing. I tell him he's going to be a professional fisherman. You're going to be the next Bill Dance, I say.” Faith smiled and added, “How would he know who Bill Dance is?” We do. Bill Dance is a TV star and one of the most famous fishermen on the planet. But Mr. Dance is almost 80 — maybe Lane is looking to Dylan Nussbaum as a role model. Lane and his Gi Gi live in Ozark, Arkansas.
Image by Crow's Cottage | 22 June 2019
A Healthy Antidote
To the Indoors-Bound Lifestyle
“I find a lot of joy in seeing kids get in touch with the outdoors at events like this one,” Matt Lark, the man taking the lead at the Kids Fishing Derby, told a reporter from Crow's Cottage. Matt, the wildlife biologist for the Boston Mountain Ranger District of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, sees events like Saturday morning's fishing derby as healthy antidotes to the indoor-oriented lifestyle so prevalent amongst many of today's children.
“I think we're beginning to lose the outdoor aspect of childhood,” Matt said. “So getting out to the lake to go fishing is a great opportunity for kids and their grownups to come in contact with their national forests. Fishing derbies are something we do across the Ozark-St. Francis forests as a way to get the public involved in fishing, especially in communities where they may not have very many opportunities to come out and fish.”
Matt, several colleagues from the headquarters of the Boston Mountain Ranger District in the Arkansas River town of Ozark, staff at Lake Wedington Recreation Area, and a few volunteers from the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of Arkansas Master Naturalists provided the manpower and womanpower to facilitate the derby. A host of sponsors provided a treasure trove of prizes.
The Right Grip
Luke Walker demonstrates the correct grip for holding a flipping 'n flopping catfish, a technique his dad Bobby Reed had just taught him at the Lake Wedington Kids Fishing Derby on Saturday. “I just like the excitement of catching a fish,” eleven-year-old Luke, a student at Hellstern Middle School in Springdale, told us. “And the peace and quiet of it is nice, too.” Dad Bobby said fishing “gives me time with my family. It's easy to get a kid hooked on fishing.”
Image by Crow's Cottage | 22 June 2019
Fisherman Luke and assistant Bobby strike a pose beside the waters on a mild Saturday morning at Lake Wedington.
Image by Crow's Cottage | 22 June 2019
Big Fish and Heavy Stringers
“A kids fishing derby is something we've done in the past here at Lake Wedington,” Matt said. “Due to various logistics issues, we went probably six or seven years without one. But I've seen it work successfully in other forests, so I wanted to get it going again up here. The other districts have been doing it, some running very successful derbies for 20-plus years. So we're trying to get this one back off the ground and running.”
Kids 12 and under participated in the derby, catching about a half-hundred fish, mostly catfish stocked that morning by a fish-farm delivery truck from central Arkansas. Prizes for biggest fish, heaviest stringer, and farthest cast added a dash of competitive excitement to the event.
“For some of the kids, it was their first time to go fishing,” Matt said. “They were obviously having fun, and that’s what it’s all about. They caught some fish, and that’s great.”
Mayan Mastery
The Mayan Boys, eleven-year-old William Jr. and seven-year-old Jayden (he's the little rascal with two fish in hand), demonstrated youthful mastery of the fishing game — or, as Jayden told us when asked about why he is hooked on fishing, “It's mostly just getting big fish.” William said he hasn't been fishing “for a while because I can barely catch any, but my uncle said he's giving me luck today.” And so he did!
Images by Crow's Cottage | 22 June 2019
The Prize Winners
Biggest Fish
First Place: Luke Walker » 1.87 pounds
Second Place: Jayden Mayen » 1.71 pounds
Third Place: Stetson Richards » 1.65 pounds
Heaviest Stringer
First Place: Luke Walker » 4.21 pounds
Second Place: Jayden Mayen » 3.24 pounds
Third Place: Stetson Richards » 2.55 pounds
Casting Contest
First Place: Luke Walker » 3’7”
Second Place: Lane Hamilton » 4’6”
Third Place: Colton Richards » 5’1”
Caring and Serving
Engaged and courteous, the Fishing Derby crew from the U.S. Forest Service (Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, Boston Mountain Ranger District) inspired an atmosphere of relaxed professionalism at the event. The crew (from left): Recreation Technicians Brad Evans and Shawn Valentine, Acting District Ranger Coy Longshore, Wildlife Biologist Matt Lark, Wildlife Technician Dustin Appleton, Seasonal Wildlife Technician Jessie Rogers, and Cass Civilian Job Core student Mason Kyle of Lincoln. Stationed in Ozark, crew members drove up from the Arkansas River Valley early Saturday morning — some volunteering on their own time to help make the Derby a success.
Image by Crow's Cottage | 22 June 2019
S T R I K E A P O S E : If you can't have fun, then why go fishing? We asked the Derby Crew to ‘strike a pose’ — and they gracefully complied. Life is good at the fishin' hole.
The Door Prizes
Allan Mayen won a two-night stay at the Wedington campground.
Stetson Richards won a life vest and inner tube float.
Creed Longshore won a tackle box and line.
William Mayen won a camp chair.
Jayden Mayen won a minnow and cricket trap.
Alejandro Pupo-Gonzalez won an inner tube float and camel back.
Hunter Richards won a camp chair.
Luke Walker won a sleeping bag.
Colton Richards won a Spiderman rod and reel.
Santiago Pupo-Gonzalez won a one-night stay in a Wedington cabin.
Caleb Banks won a Fish U.S. rod and reel.
Hazel Mayen won a tackle box.
Lane Hamilton won a Moana rod and reel.
Hudson Longshore won a Fish U.S. rod and reel.
Veronica Pupo-Gonzalez won a Fish U.S. rod and reel.
Carter Banks won a Fish U.S. rod and reel.
Oliver Roth won a Fish U.S. rod and reel.
A Banks Family Triumph
Carter Banks, age six, raised the loudest hurrah of the morning when he caught a big cat not long before the Derby glided smoothly to a close. It was his first catch ever, and he was considering taking the whiskered prize home as a pet. Everyone heard the family's shouts of glee when Carter reeled in his fish. Forest Service Seasonal Wildlife Technician Jessie Rogers helped Carter land the cat. In our image, grandmother Shirley sits by the water next to daughter Laken, four-year-old Caleb, and Carter. When we asked little Caleb what he liked best about fishing, he answered “the fishing pole.”
Image by Crow's Cottage | 22 June 2019
The Sponsors
Arkansas Master Naturalists
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Construction Equipment Specialties (Chuck Mason)
Ozark Sportsman
South Town Sporting Goods
Church Street Grocery and Deli
Browns Custom Flooring
Shelby Brown
C & D Farms
Arkansas State Parks
Arkansas Tech Ozark Campus
Neighborly Encouragement
The smile on young Santiago Pupo's face speaks to the joys of fishing. David Moore is teaching the seven-year-old how to maneuver a bobbing hook through the water. “We're friends,” father Guillermo Pupo said about his neighbor. “He invited us here to learn the fishing experience.” Five-year-old Alejandro sits next to dad.
Image by Crow's Cottage | 31 May 2019
My Three Sons
Stetson with the big smile at age five is the youngest of Caleb Richard's three sons — and it's easy to see how much the little one loves fishing. Colton, age seven, and Hunter, the tallest brother at age eight, stand next to their proud father. A Louisiana forester with Weyerhaeuser, Caleb was vacationing in the area and visiting his pal Coy Longshore, the District Ranger, who said, “Let's go fishing.”
Image by Crow's Cottage | 31 May 2019
Longshores by the Lakeshore
Little Hudson Longshore practices one of the greatest skills of childhood, I M A G I N A T I O N, as he sits by the shore of Lake Wedington with his extended family of Longshores. Daddy Rick, the Acting District Ranger (scroll up to find dad in the Forest Service Derby Crew photo), brought his family along to take it easy and enjoy the ambience of an awesome Saturday morning outdoors. Grandmother Andrea and Grandfather Rick cradle grandtwins Ellie and Easton. Hudson holds his toy fishing pole in front of little brother Creed, who sits in the lap of mom Alyssa. “Being out here just keeps it going,” Alyssa said. “Coy is a big outdoorsy guy, so getting the kids out is just so good for our family.” Hear Hear Alyssa! announces the Editorial Board of Crow's Cottage, where family always takes center stage.
Image by Crow's Cottage | 22 June 2019
Champion of Lake Wedington
Arkansas Master Naturalist Kathy Mason's vision to enhance awareness of the untapped potential of the Lake Wedington Recreation Area took a big stride forward with the success of the Kids Fishing Derby. We see her discussing the finer points of fishing with one of the three Richards boys. Kathy has devoted considerable effort to raise public awareness of the recreational opportunities at the lake. Spearheaded by Kathy’s planning and outreach, the Native Plant Committee of the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of Arkansas Master Naturalists planted a garden bed at the Lodge in 2018 and then planted seven more native beds by the historic Civilian Conservation Corps cabins on July 1. Kathy is also working to organize a team of NWA Master Naturalists to create a birding guide for visitors. “It was a pleasure having the Master Naturalists help us out,” Fishing Derby leader Matt Lark said after all the little fishermen and their adults had gone home. “I look forward to working with the Master Naturalists in the future. I think this will be a productive partnership.”
Image by Crow's Cottage | 22 June 2019
Lake Wedington lies within the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. The Lake Wedington Recreational Area is managed by the Boston Mountain Ranger District, headquartered in Ozark. As you would expect from a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture, the forest agencies maintain a robust website. If you've a few minutes to spare, take a look.
The Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists dispatched a couple of volunteers to the 2019 Lake Wedington Kids Fishing Tournament. JB Portillo and Cheryl Larson are busy developing the website for the NWA Naturalists, who have members in Benton County, Washington County, Madison County, and Carroll County. No other organization in our state provides more volunteers in service of the natural world than the statewide Arkansas Master Naturalists. We invite you to take and look and think about adding your labor and expertise to the cause.
“Family, Fellowship And Rare Dogbane: A Rescue Mission” is the Crow's Cottage feature about an expedition by the Arkansas Native Plant Society to find a new home for a rare plant under threat from the mower's blades. The story was engendered by an especially mellow day at the end of May when family, botany, idealism, collective action, and comradeship came together to create a special memory.
“A Natural Promise: Embracing Hope” is Crow's Cottage feature about the Arkansas Native Seed Program. Inspired by the Beaver Watershed Alliance's Quarterly Speaker Series at the West Fork Library in February, the essay calls on environmental leaders Jennifer Ogle, Clell Ford, Dave Leisure, and Jonathan Young to tell the story of a very important initiative of conservation and preservation.
No Birds. No Butterflies. Anxieties at the Limestone Banquet Tables.
Native Trees. Smitten by the Trees of Arkansas.
As always, we invite you to write us letter of encouragement or correction. You can even chastise us if you're respectful. Expect a courteous and timely reply. And let us know if you'd like to receive a notice about new features. Our address is ebenezer@crowscottage.com
