Rockdale Citizen

CONYERS - Elks Aidmore Children's Center is inviting the community to come fishing this weekend.From 8:30 a.m. until noon Saturday, children ages 15 years old and younger and their families are invited to the third annual Small Fry Fishing Contest at Elks Aidmore Children's Center, which is located at 2394 Morrison Road in Conyers. It's free and open to the public. Refreshments will be available."It's a great little event," said Virginia Voll, community relations and marketing director at the center. "We really have lots of fun."She said Elks Aidmore will provide the bait, but the children should bring their own fishing poles, although it's not necessary that they have fishing experience."A lot of people will be fishing for the first time that day," Voll said. "It's a wonderful little place to learn to fish, and people from the Department of Natural Resources will be there to help."The center, which also opens its fishing pond, campgrounds and hiking trails to the public throughout the year, started the fishing contest after the DNR began stocking its pond."It's a wonderful family event and a great way to spend the morning with their child and a way to make a lasting moment," Voll said. "It's not a fundraiser - it's a community event."She said the DNR stocks its pond every year with about 2,000 catfish, so she expects to have about 4,000 to 5,000 catfish in its pond. With a path around the pond with floating docks and benches scattered about, there's plenty of room for families to catch some fish."Last year almost everyone who came caught a fish," Voll said.The center will award prizes to those who catch the largest fish and those who catch the most fish."We do ask people that if they are not going to eat the fish, please throw them back," Voll said. "They can take home what they catch as long as they are going to eat them."After the fishing contest, guests are invited to participate in paddle boat races, which will cost $5 per entry. Contestants have the chance to win a weekend on Elks Aidmore's campground.Guests are also invited to walk the hiking trails and the rest of its 125-acre property and plan a fishing trip or camping experience in the future."It's in a beautiful location," she said. "And it's going to be a beautiful day."More information about the fishing contest and Elks Aidmore is available by calling 770-483-3535 or visiting www.elksaidmore.com.Michelle Floyd can be reached at michelle.floyd@newtoncitizen.com.