March 13, 2019
Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Family and Community Fishing Program and Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation will celebrate the end of the winter trout stocking season with a bang at 6 p.m. this Thursday. A live drawing will be held on KTHV’s regularly scheduled Outdoor Report and will be streamed live at www.thv11.com.
Nearly 70,000 13- to 14-inch long rainbow trout have been stocked in FCFP ponds since November to offer anglers access to this exceptional sportfish while water temperatures would enable them to survive. Three hundred of these fish were outfitted with pink fluorescent tags when they were stocked to help biologists measure angling effort and promote the added opportunity.
“Anglers from around the state have sent in tags and won prizes all winter long simply by fishing at one of our stocked locations,” said FCFP coordinator Maurice Jackson. “Prizes ranged from a shopping gift card to tackle boxes and other fishing gear.”
In addition to individual prizes, each person who turned in a tag is eligible for the grand prize, a two-night stay for up to 14 people at the Rick Evans Conservation Education Center courtesy of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. Winners will be able to enjoy fishing, canoeing, archery and trap shooting during their stay at the center.
“A continuing mission of the Foundation is supporting AGFC initiatives aimed at getting families unplugged and engaged in Arkansas’s Outdoors,” said AGFF President Deke Whitbeck. “The Family and Community Fishing Program helps do exactly that with their events and programming. We are happy to help with this effort.”