Pike County Kids’ Fishing Day at Clay Hill Farms has become a Father’s Day tradition for many families throughout the county.

John and Carol Dorrill of Clay Hill Farms at Pronto will, once again, host Kids’ Fishing Day the Saturday before Father’s Day, June 15.

The free Kids’ Fishing Day event is open to all kids ages, five to 15 who are accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult.

Registration begins at 7 a.m. June 15 and fishing will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 11 a.m.

Participating children should bring a hat, sunglasses, bait, a rod and reel or pole and an ice chest for fish.

Jerry Jinright, Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officer for Pike County, expressed appreciation to the Dorrills for their generosity in hosting the annual Kids’ Fishing Day.

Although there are no 100 percent guarantees that a kid will catch a stringer of catfish on Kids’ Fishing Day, if a kid doesn’t catch a fish at the Dorrills’ pond, they probably didn’t chew their bait, the officer said.

“The Dorrills’ pond is well stocked with catfish and I mean with big ones,” Jinright said. “But just to make sure that every kid has a better than good chance of catching fish, the Dorrills have a big tank of around 200 catfish delivered and added to the pond.”

The kid with the hook in the water will have the say as to what kind of bait is on the hook. However, Jinright said the bait of choice is traditionally Catfish Charlie or chicken livers.

“We’ll have three age groups and the kid with the heaviest stringer of fish in each age group will win a prize,” Jinright said. “All the kids who fish will have their names entered in the drawing for two $50-prizes donated by Walmart to be used toward the purchase of bicycles.”

Of course, every kid who fishes will have the opportunity to win a prize designed for fun in the outdoors.

“Walmart will have lunch for the kids so it will be a fun day all around,” Jinright said. “We invite dads and moms, grandparents or other family members to bring a kid fishing at Clay Hill Farms on Saturday, June 15. It will be a day long remembered.”

Pike County Kids Fishing Day is sponsored and hosted by Walmart, Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association and the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division The event is partially funded by the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program.

Editor’s Note: Directions to Clay Hill Farm, from Troy, south on Highway 231, left on County Road 5522. Turn right onto County Road 5511 and left onto County Road 5523 (Norman Wilson Road). Clay Hill Farms is 1.4 miles on the left. Directions from Brundidge are north on Alabama 93, left onto County Road 5523 (Norman Wilson Road), 1.4 miles to Clay Hill Farms on the right.