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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has special prizes to offer at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center kid’s only fishing pond. Fall is a wonderful time for parents to teach their children to fish. MDC fisheries biologists have stocked and tagged fish in the pond, adding a challenging twist to fishing with an opportunity for children to win prizes. Children who catch a tagged fish at the pond may turn it in at the nature center to collect a prize.
“We’ve tagged largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, and redear sunfish,” said Salvador Mondragon, MDC fisheries management biologist. “The tag reads ‘reward’ followed by a series of numbers. If children catch a fish with one of these tags, they can remove it and present the tag to either the Cape Girardeau Southeast Regional Office or Cape Nature Center to redeem their prize.”
Mondragon said the caught fish can either be harvested or released back into the pond.
“Our goal is to promote youth fishing and give young anglers an opportunity to win prizes by catching tagged fish. Every tagged fish is a winner,” he said.
Prizes range from t-shirts to basic fishing tackle. The kid’s fishing pond is open to youth anglers ages 15 and younger. For additional information or inquiries, call the Cape Girardeau Southeast Regional Office at (573)290-5730 or the Cape Nature Center at (573)290-5218. For information on fishing and other nature programs at the Cape Nature Center, go online to mdc.mo.gov/CapeNatureCenter. To find fishing locations near you, go online to mdc.mo.gov/fishing.
