Sand Springs Kids Fishing Derby to be month-long event this June

View fullsize

Winners from the 2019 Kids Fishing Derby.

The landscape of public events has radically changed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 31st Annual Kids Fishing Derby in Sand Springs is no exception. The free event typically draws hundreds of participants to the small Sand Springs Lake, but due to social distancing, it will be very different in 2020.

Usually a one-day event that awards prizes for the largest and smallest fish caught in various age brackets, the 2020 event will take place over the entire month of June. Instead of having weigh-ins, participants will only have to catch one fish, take a photo with it, and submit it online. There will be no awards for best angler, but instead, all participants will be entered into random drawings. Instead of being exclusive to the Sand Springs Lake, kids can now participate at any body of water.

The event is open to kids from four to twelve years of age, and there will be three divisions: four to six years, seven to nine years, and ten to twelve years. There will be a prize drawing for each age group, and every participant will receive a t-shirt.

The free event has few rules. Parents are allowed to assist in casting, and removing the fish from the hook, but the child must catch, hook, and land the fish on their own. The child has to be posing with their fish in the photo. All entries must be submitted by June 30th at 11:59 p.m.

The event began in 1991 and was hosted by the Sand Springs Parks Department. It is now co-hosted by the Parks Department and Church That Matters. All entries should be submitted at this link.