Kids ages three to 16 have a chance to win accolades and more during the upcoming Youth Fishing Rodeo.

The event, sponsored by the Port Arthur Convention and Visitors Bureau and Sea Rim State Park, will be held from noon to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Pleasure Island Marina boardwalk.

Callie Summerlin, sales and marketing director with the Port Arthur CVB, said registration begins at noon and trophies will be awarded shortly after the event concludes at 2:30 p.m. There is no fee to participate and loaner tackle will be provided to the first 30 kids. Bait will be provided.

“We want this to be a fun, friendly event for the whole family,” Summerlin said.

Kids will be fishing off the boardwalk at the marina area and must be accompanied by an adult.

The Youth Fishing Rodeo is in conjunction with the Yellowfin Elite Redfish Series professional fishing tournament.

“The tournament is a one boat, one fisherman tournament and we have fishermen from across the U.S.,” she said. “Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to name a few.”

The economic impact of the tournament to our area is great.

“Not only is Holiday Inn Park Central the host hotel for the event but all of the fishermen are staying there. Many of them have been here a week pre-fishing and timing. They end up staying a week longer than the actual fishing tournament,” she said. “They buy gas to fuel their boats and trucks, stay in our hotel rooms, eat at our restaurants and are enjoying different attractions and assets in our community.”

The Yellowfin Elite Redfish Series will be aired on the Discovery Channel network and will include a commercial featuring the area’s attractions.

Pleasure Island was once the sight of the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup hosted by ESPN. Hurricane Ike in 2008 damaged the area and that tournament was later moved to a different venue.

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