Saturday proved a great day on the water for three-dozen Butler County Children during the annual Butler County Kids’ Free Fishing Day event.

This year’s occasion saw more than 800 pounds of hungry fish and 36 equally hungry young anglers, and Butler County sheriff Kenny Harden said that this year’s event may also have been its best.

“It was very successful this year,” Harden said.

“The weather was good, the fish were biting and every kid out there was able to catch fish.  It’s probably one of the best years we’ve had.  I think the least anybody caught was eight.”

Following the fun down by American Legion Pond, the anglers moved indoors for lunch, which included grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and cold drinks.

Door prize tickets were also handed out as the registered children showed up and picked them out of a box during lunch.

Twelve kids received a 33 rod-and-reel combo, and one extra-lucky young man won a lifetime fishing license sponsored by the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association.

Harden added that it was thanks to numerous sponsors, including the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, American Legion, Coastal Forest Products, Fred’sandthe Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Assocation, who all donated not only their money but their time to making the event possible.

“They made monetary donations to it, but also the conservation officers were there and sheriff’s officers were there in assisting kids fishing,” Harden said. “Coastal had representatives there cooking.  We can’t do it without them.  And Coastal, from what they’ve told us, has said that they would continue helping us with it.  And Fred’s has been a part of it for a pretty good while.

“And it’s for a good cause.  We’ve got kids that come out there that have never been fishing, and they caught fishing. And we were able to do that only because of the other sponsors who helped us out.”