Outdoor Adventure Opportunities to Abound on Saturday

Smith Creek at Unicoi State Park gets well stocked for Outdoor
 Adventure Day, which is always held on National Hunting &
Fishing Day. Georgia DNR photo.

Smith Creek will be full of trout and its banks full of trout fishermen this Saturday, but that won't be the only activity at North Georgia's Unicoi State Park. As part of the National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will host Outdoor Adventure Day at Unicoi from 10 to 4 on Saturday. Activities ranging from skeet shooting to fly tying will be available to children and adults alike and concentrated in a big field along Smith Creek within the park.

If you want to learn more about opportunities for activities such as camping, hiking, fishing and hunting or try some of those skills first-hand, Outdoor Adventure Day is tough to top. Likewise, if you want to provide some opportunities for your children or maybe for a co-worker neighbor family, it's the place to be. Putting on such an event calls for a vast volunteer team, and most volunteers are knowledgeable and experienced outdoorsmen from this area.

You don't even need even need a fishing rod to fish. Although you're certainly welcome to bring your own gear, and most folks probably will do just that, loaner tackle will be rigged and ready for visitors to use. Live worms, by the way, are tough to top for freshly stocked trout.

Making Saturday an extra good day to bring a friend to Unicoi or to one of your favorite fishing holes, Saturday, Sept. 28 is Free Fishing Day in Georgia, meaning that no license or trout stamp is needed to fish Georgia waters.

While Unicoi's Outdoor Adventure Day gets my attention because it is the nearest special activity to my home, don't feel left out if you're not nearby. Similar events occur all over the country on the same day, and several states offer a free fishing day or two on the same weekend. Do a little searching online, and chances are good that you can find a fun event to attend or opportunity to share your love for fishing in your neck of the woods.

For information about National Hunting and Fishing Day activities in Georgia visit the Georgia DNR website.

Fish for Free in Half the Nation

A recent e-mail reminded me that this Saturday is the second of two Free Fishing Days in my home state of Georgia, which means quite simply that on that day you can fish without a license. The other date was last Saturday. Like many other states, Georgia sets its dates based on National Fishing & Boating Week, which is actually an extended week that takes in two weekends and runs June 1-9 this year.

Most state have one or more Free Fishing Days, and based on a quick survey, it looks like 24 states' dates include this Saturday (June 8). Some are a single day. Others last a week. Some are resident only or limited in the waters they cover. Others are for everyone and everywhere. For details about your own state, check out the great state-by-state listing compiled by Takemefishing.org.

Because I buy a Georgia license (and various others) every year, I admittedly don't think enough about Free Fishing Days. The fact is, though, that a Free Fishing Day provides the ideal opportunity to introduce a neighbor or co-worker to the fun of fishing. Even though most short-term licenses don't cost much, the very fact that that it is not required for a day feels like an invitation from the state to try out fishing to many people.

I've found that more people than I would guess not only would try fishing if asked but would take their own children fishing with a even bit of direction and encouragement. They'd like to take their children, who would like to go fishing. They just don't really know how. Free Fishing Day is a perfect opportunity to get that started by taking them out and providing some basic direction.

Beyond the document listed above, by the way, Takemefishing.org is a spectacular resource for anyone seeking almost any kind of direction about fishing. It offers a wealth of information about where to fish, how to fish, how to get licenses and much, much more.

Take Someone Fishing Next Week

The best time to share your love for fishing with someone else is any time you get the opportunity to do so. That truth acknowledged, June 2-10 is National Boating & Fishing Week, and within that week, most states offer at least one Free Fishing Day. A little thing like a waived license fee for a day might be just enough incentive for a co-worker and his family to join you an a nearby lake or stream for an afternoon.

If you do get the opportunity to take someone fishing who normally does not spend much time on the water, think simple. Just like when you take a child for the first time, think about low-effort high-reward destinations such as park ponds where you can fish from the shore or a johnboat with bait or use simple, cast-and-crank lures and enjoy a fairly decent chance of catching at lest a few fish. And those fish don't have to be big to add a lot of fun to an outing.

Also remember that folks who don't normally fish might run out of steam way before you would and may want to go do something else. If you want them to leave with a favorable attention and a desire to try some more fishing, be alert for any hints that it's time to call it a day.