From the DE Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control:
Do you know a child or young teen who might enjoy learning about fishing and trying to catch a fish? The Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife’s “Take a Kid Fishing!” program offers five upcoming summer dates when budding anglers age 6 through 15 and a parent/guardian are invited to come out and learn to fish.
Take a Kid Fishing! teaches young people fundamental fishing skills and conservation concepts. Along with the angling experience, these free-admission fishing days also feature activity stations and prizes. The program is sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife through its Aquatic Resources Education Center near Smyrna. Host sites for some of this year’s programs are provided by DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife and Division of Parks & Recreation, the Delaware Nature Society and the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.
Take a Kid Fishing! events will be held on the following dates:
- 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sunday, June 14 – Lums Pond State Park, Bear
- 9 a.m. – noon, Wednesday, June 17 – Aquatic Resources Education Center, Smyrna
- 9 a.m. – noon, Wednesday, June 24 – Aquatic Resources Education Center, Smyrna
- 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturday, July 11 – Redden State Forest, Georgetown
- 9 a.m. – noon, Saturday, Aug. 15 – Abbotts Mill Nature Center, Milford
Fishing equipment is provided, but participants and their families or guardians may want to pack a picnic lunch. To ensure enough supplies are on hand for these free programs, pre-registration is required. To pre-register for Take a Kid Fishing!, or for more information about the program or about volunteering as an instructor, please email Mary Rivera atmary.rivera@state.de.us.
Most grandparents, parents or others age 16 and older who wish to fish with the participants on Take a Kid Fishing! days must have a current Delaware fishing license and a FIN number. A resident annual Delaware recreational fishing license, which covers fresh and tidal waters as well as crabbing and clamming, costs $8.50 for ages 16 through 64. Persons under the age of 16 and residents age 65 and older are not required to purchase fishing licenses in Delaware, although exempt persons may purchase fishing licenses if they so choose to help support fisheries management efforts.
Both resident and non-resident anglers age 16 and older also are required to obtain a Delaware Fisherman Information Network (FIN) number. The free number is included as part of a Delaware fishing license purchase. License-exempt anglers, including Delaware residents 65 and older, may visit www.delaware-fin.com or call 800-432-9228 toll-free to obtain their free FIN number.
Delaware fishing licenses are sold online, at the licensing office in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, and by license agents statewide. To find a participating agent, or to purchase a license online, visit Delaware Licenses. For additional information on Delaware fishing licenses, call 302-739-9918.
For more information on fishing in Delaware, click on the 2015 Delaware Fishing Guide. The guide also is available in printed form at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk, and from license agents throughout the state.
The “Take a Kid Fishing!” program is part of Delaware’s Children in Nature Initiative, a statewide effort to improve environmental literacy in Delaware, create opportunities for children to participate in enriching outdoor experiences, combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles. Delaware’s multi-agency initiative, which partners state and federal agencies with community organizations, is in conjunction with the national No Child Left Inside program.
