By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Belle took a few moments to play some chords on her harmonica while gazing out at the pond where she had come to fish on Saturday. She had traveled with her mother from Alvin to be one of 230 people who came out for the second annual Rainbow Trout Kid Fish event held on Saturday at Carver Park in Texas City.
Texas City Parks Superintendent Byron Sefcik remembers the time he spent in his own childhood fishing in the Texas City area. He shared he has a fondness for the outdoors, and he has committed to bringing the outdoors to the children of Texas City.
“I noticed there weren’t many kids outside fishing when I came back to Texas City, so I decided to change that. I just want to introduce a little of the outdoors to them, get them off their cell phones and outside,” Sefcik shared.
It was an overcast, chilly morning and there wasn’t a single child complaining, even the ones who didn’t catch a single fish stated they were having a good time.
Sefcik smiled as he said, “That’s why they call it fishing and not catching. We provide the opportunity, but not everyone is going to catch a fish.”
1,000 rainbow trout were poured into the pond at the park in preparation for the children’s fishing event. The fish came from the Texas state fish hatcheries, Sefcik reported.
The city provided the fishers with bait in the form of colored kernels of corn.
One man from Clear Lake had gone to pick up his own grandkids to go fishing, but they had other commitments. Rather than waste all the preparations, he came out to the event and teamed up with a father and his boys.
He brought with him what he calls a “super-duper” lure. Perhaps his lure is why the boys caught their limit of fish, which was five per person. Or maybe they had such success because they were experienced at fishing. Their father flipped through his cell phone showing photos of his boys fishing in Galveston County, including down on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
There were groups of moms and dads with grandparents, and in one case, it was a granddaddy’s first time to show his grandson the art and sport of fishing.
“My dad had always wanted a son to take fishing. My sister and I used to go with him. Now he has two grandsons,’ shared the boys’ mother as she kept her infant daughter warm in a bundle wrapped around her.
Her sons were happily allowing their grandpa to show them how to cast a rod and reel it in. At ages 4 and just about to turn 3, they were caught up in the experience and didn’t care that they hadn’t caught a single fish.
Three-year-old Da’Kari didn’t have to travel far. He lives in Texas City, and it was his first time fishing. Like the other younger children, he was having a good time, and catching a fish wasn’t as important to him as casting off.
Two older youngsters from Dickinson have some experience at fishing and were each able to catch their five-per-person limit.
Lily from Hitchcock wore her bright pink hat as she fished with her mom for several hours. Another mother-and-daughter team from Pearland relaxed along the rails of the short bridge over the pond. They had learned about the fishing event on social media, and they seemed content even though they had not caught any of the trout.
As the event neared its end, city staff made an announcement requesting that those who had been using fishing equipment provided by the city turn in their gear. But as I looked around the pond, it seemed as though there were a lot of kids with their own gear who continued to cast their rods out in hopes of luring in a fish.
The fact that 1,000 trout were dumped into the pond, and many attendees did not catch anything means there are trout swimming around in the pond at Carver Park in Texas City, and those who are able to are welcome to bring their fishing gear and catch the legal limit.
According to Sefcik, trout can’t survive in water temperatures above 59 degrees. So maybe in the coming days before the temperatures rise, some lucky or very skilled folks will catch some trout in Texas City.
