Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the New Orleans Recreation District Commission (NORDC) collaborated to host a successful Get Out and Fish! event this past Saturday at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans East. Despite the windy and rainy conditions brought by Tropical Storm Olga, over 130 anglers showed up to enjoy a day of fishing. Prior to the event, LDWF stocked the pond with 1000 pounds of adult size channel catfish, providing an excellent opportunity for anglers of all ages to catch and take home some nice sized catfish.
Catfish winners
Little Angler (ages 8 and under):
- 1st Charles Fisher (4.2 pound channel catfish)
- 2nd Jyonna Jackson (4.1 pound channel catfish)
- 3rd Jennifer Gonzales (3.12 pound channel catfish)
Junior Angler (ages 9-15):
- 1st Argenis Rosa (4.1 pound channel catfish)
- 2nd Cody Woodcraft (3.8 pound channel catfish)
- Tied for 3 rd Xavier Martin and Lydia Kelly (3.6 pound channel catfish)
Adult Angler (ages 16 and older):
- 1st Raymond Harris (4.6 pound channel catfish)
- 2nd Chris Behel (4.3 pound channel catfish)
- 3rd Otis Louis (4.1 pound channel catfish)
Other species winners
Little Angler (ages 8 and under):
- 1 st Jyonna Jackson (spotted gar)
Rio Grande Cichlid species winners
Adult Angler (ages 16 and older):
- 1 st Teley Davis
Lunch was provided by Domino’s Pizza, We Dat’s, Melba’s, Fiorella’s and Bayona
The event was made possible through the generous donations from our sponsors including: Fiorella’s, Dirty Coast, Smoothie King, Walmart on Bullard, Lowe’s on Elysian Fields, Home Depot of New Orleans East, Wendy’s on Read Blvd, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Louisiana Lottery, City Park, and Cabela’s.
Rummel High School Fishing Students and LDWF Aquatic Volunteer Instructors played a major role in making this event successful by providing assistance to youth fishing around the pond and offering educational activities throughout the day.
For more information about future stockings and directions to all of our community fishing sites, you can visit www.wlf.la.gov/get-out-and-fish-1, or follow us on facebook @ldwfgetoutandfish.
The Get Out and Fish! program seeks to increase the number of people with access to quality fishing and to promote outdoor activities for future generations. In order to accomplish this mission, public water bodies that meet the required specifications are chosen by LDWF biologists to join the Get Out and Fish! community fishing program. These community fishing sites are stocked in the Spring and Fall with adult size channel catfish and in the Winter with rainbow trout (weather permitting).
For more information on the Get Out & Fish program, contact Megan MacMenamin at mmacmenamin@wlf.la.gov or 225-765-2375.
LDWF’s Get Out & Fish is hosted in conjunction with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation. The LWFF was formed to provide a means for individuals and corporations to become partners with the Department and Commission in the challenge of conserving Louisiana’s wildlife and fisheries resources.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.la.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.