If they’d done less cheerleading and more concentrating on fishing they’d probably had caught more fish but, really, where is the fun in that?
Frank and Kathryn Foster, and son Landon, 9, embodied the spirit of the Bassmaster Get Hooked on Fishing presented by Toyota, Shakespeare and TakeMeFishing.org at the 2019 GEICO Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville on Friday.
“We are like kids in a candy store,” the father said as he watched his son, coached by Kathryn to keep his eyes focused on the fat catfish swimming around in the 20-foot-wide octagon shaped tank—instead of the ones the other kids were catching. Like father, like son, they both shouted out every time someone caught a fish.
“I love fishing and he is just ate up with it, too,” Frank Foster said. “This is just great.”
They made the 4-hour drive from Blacksburg, Va. and early Friday had already talked boats with Indiana Elite Series Pro Bill Lowen at the Meet The Elites event before Landon geared up to hit the catfish pond. Landon would later win a new Shakespeare rod-and-reel combo, get some casting lessons, build a free Strike-King spinner bait, learn about Tennessee wildlife and watch some crazy Super Retriever Series dogs leap incredible distances to splash down in front of an appreciative crowd.
“It’s an incredible venue with everything happening right here. We just are so excited,” Foster said.
Daily during the Classic, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., a section of World’s Fair Drive outside the Knoxville Convention Center where the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by DICK’s Sporting Goods is underway, is blocked off just for kids–and their adult companions.
It’s the catfish pond on one end, Meet the Elites on the other, and a bunch of fun in the middle.
“It’s a bass fishing party,” said David Healy, director of this year’s Get Hooked event. The point is building enthusiasm with kids and families that already enjoy the outdoors and introducing newcomers to the broad opportunities to get outside and give them ideas how to get involved, he said. If it’s not jumping catfish, it’s jumping dogs that have people cheering at this venue.
James Birch, organizer and judge of the Eukanuba Super Retriever Series Super Dock Dogs event, said the dock dogs is part serious competition, and part fun.
“We are having a competition with finals on Sunday, but we’re open to the public and we have fun jumps and anyone is welcome to come out and try it,” said Birch, who has been competing for three years and has two of his own dogs at the venue. Any breed, as long as it’s older than 6 months and can jump and swim, can try it.
The dogs compete in Super Fly, which is for longest jump, Super Vertical, which is for height, and Raider Retrieve, which is a speed test.
“Bring your dog and give it a try. It’s great getting the dogs that have never done it. Sometimes just getting them off the exit ramp, that can be an accomplishment right there, but once they do that they might just be off and running.”
The jumps, especially the high jumps with dogs leaping to grab a bumper suspended 8 feet off the end of the dock and 6 to 8 feet above the dock bring crowd-pleasing splashes.
Easily 10,000 to 12,000 people will visit the venue this weekend, including dozens with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, Healy said. In addition to the fishing pond and jumping dogs, they will get rod-and-reel combos and free baits and get some casting lessons, a bowfishing lessons, and learn about local wildlife with displays set up by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
“It’s fun to partner with the local agencies because they have the educational resources and they have the experience,” Healy said. “All they’re looking for is a party to go to, and that’s us.”
The weekend marks a debut reveal of a travel trailer designed by the wildlife agency, a taxidermy display that packs a full introduction to Tennessee critters into about 20 feet, said Don Crawford, assistant chief of multi-media for the agency.
An eye-popper of a tom turkey greets young explorers as soon as they enter the trailer, which includes furbearers from bobcats to fox squirrels, birds of prey like hawks and owls, game fish such as striped bass and largemouth bass, and if the kids are prone to dawdle, the stuffed snakes and snapping turtle near the exit might encourage them to move their feet along—quite possibly in a hurry.
“The thing is to just get people out,” Crawford said. “We’re trying to focus now on the whole family. You get mom involved and she’ll bring everyone along. You get the kids excited and they’ll bring the family along. Single parents, families, they just need that first interest and to find out where and how easy it can be to get out and a lot of times that’s all it takes.”
