Favorite thing: free fishing derby for kids

This is something families look forward to every year - and we wish it could be more than just one day! We have ospreys that always try to steal fish and Canada geese with their babies. Our 2026 date: April 25.
 

Free fishing derby tomorrow morning at 7

Only one more sleep till our annual Hooked on Fish fishing derby at the Horticulture Pond near Poulsbo Middle School. The pond has been stocked with some beautiful trout and some weeds cleared from around the pond. All you have to watch out for are the ospreys!

The gate opens at 7 a.m. Children aged 12 and under fish for free! Lions have fishing rods, tackle and bait available for anybody who doesn't have it. Heck, we'll even clean your fish.

Leo students will have a concession table with donuts, coffee, water, etc. for sale as a fundraiser for their club.
 

Trout arrive April 24 and clean-up around pond follows

Our annual Hooked on Fish fishing derby is an event kids and their families look forward to every year. This year, the fishing derby falls on Saturday, April 27, and will be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Horticulture Pond, which is near the entrance of Poulsbo Middle School.

Kids aged 12 and under fish for free. Poulsbo Lions will be on hand to loan out fishing poles, add hooks, bobbers and bait, or just offer advice and encouragement.

Leos from North Kitsap High and Poulsbo Middle schools will be selling doughnuts, coffee, cocoa and water.

Poulsbo Lions spent $1,500 on trout this year as for the past couple of years so that kids could hook "lunkers" as well as regularly-sized trout. The fish will go into the pond April 24. Lions will form a work party after their meeting April 25 to weed-eat and clean-up around the pond so there's less brush for hooks and lines to get caught in.
 

Fishing derby set for April 29

Mark your calendars for our Hooked on Fish free fishing derby for kids up to age 12! It's set for Saturday, April 29, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Horticulture Pond by Poulsbo Middle School on Hostmark. Lions are purchasing $1,000 worth of trout to stock the pond just a few days before the derby! We'll have extra fishing poles, tackle, bait, fish cleaning and all the help you'll need. Please share! #hookedonfish #freefishingforkids #poulsbolions #WeServe

Oliver Laughlin catches 20" trout to win Hooked on Fish first prize of $25

 It was a great Saturday for little Oliver Laughlin as he reeled in a 20" trout at our Hooked on Fish event at the pond by Poulsbo Middle School. Laughlin won $25 from new contributor Hudson Auto Center but wants it to go to our club for more fish next year. Thanks to all of the Lions, LEOs and families that made this a spectacular event!

LEO students serve up concessions at fishing derby

Do you know we have some terrific LEOs helping us at many of our events? These students below, helping with concessions at the fishing derby yesterday, are from Poulsbo Middle School and North Kitsap High School. We also have LEO clubs at Kingston Middle and high schools. It's never too early to start community service!

Hooked on Fish back with 2-pounders!

 

 

It was amazing to host another Hooked on Fish after two years of not having it due to Covid-19. We had lots of Poulsbo Lions on hand to help with pole set-up, bobbers, bait and tips. We had royalty on hand to brighten the day, which started out rainy. And we saw some 2-pounders caught by more than a couple kids. Also, for the first time, we offered $25 to the kid catching the biggest trout - thanks to Hudson Auto Center.

 

Cashel Jacobson brought in two big trout. The biggest was 19-3/4". He was there fishing at the pond by Poulsbo Middle School with his two brothers and dad.

 

Five-year-old Nico Bustamante of Bremerton was more than happy with his catch! He caught two (the limit) and was going to get this one cleaned, thanks to Lions Lee Metcalf (7-10 am shift) and Dick Prine (10-1 shift).

Here we have Miss Washington Evergreen Pre-Teen Sydney Brandt of Bremerton on the left, Miss West Sound's Outstanding Teen Reyna Blackwood of Silverdale in the middle, and Miss West Sound Austin Douglas of Lakewood.

 

 

This mom helped save her son's fish when the line got caught in a branch. Both the branch and fish were brought in safely.

 

The pond was surrounded by kids and their parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents.

 

Our Poulsbo Lions enjoy Hooked on Fish as much as the kids do! Fortunately everybody was able to get bait before Lion Scott Puhn (left) ate all of the worms. We even had a guest, Quilcene Lions President Craig Uchida (next to Scott).

Lion Tom Settle keeps the lines, hooks and fishing poles in good shape. Our Poulsbo club has many poles to lend to kids who don't have their own. 

Lion Pat Osler helps a little girl get set-up to fish.

 

Lion Lee Metcalf volunteered for fish-cleaning duty.

Julia Ann Salazar smiles as her dad shows off her big catch, which measured 18-1/4".

Poulsbo Lions clean up around trout pond

 Kids aged 12 and under will have a much easier time casting their fishing lines since a group of Poulsbo Lions cleared out some brush around the perimeter of the horticulture pond, which is next to Poulsbo Middle School. We stocked the pond Wednesday with trout weighing up to 2 pounds! Special thanks to President Dennis Deitch, Scott Puhn and Rick Wright.

 

$25 prize added for biggest fish caught at Hooked on Fish tomorrow

 NEW! We've added a $25 first prize for the kid with the biggest fish at our Hooked on Fish event this Saturday from 7-1 p.m. at the pond by Poulsbo Middle School. There will be Lions on hand to help set up poles, bait, etc. If you have a pole, please bring it. We do have some you can borrow. We even clean the fish for you! And Leos will be on hand selling hot chocolate, water, coffee and donuts. See you there!

 

Extra lunkers bought for April 30 fishing derby

Our Hooked on Fish event for kids aged 12 and under is set for Saturday, April 30, from 7 am to 2 pm. Bait and some poles will be available, as well as general help. Our Poulsbo Lions bought an extra $500 worth of BIG fish.

 

 

Fishing derby cancelled

 

Our annual Hooked on Fish fishing derby has been cancelled due to the coronavirus. We hope to see everybody in 2021!

Free fishing derby announced

 

Thanks to Lion Karl Ostheller for creating this flyer for our annual Hooked on Fish fishing derby next to Poulsbo Middle School. This event is lots of fun AND there will be donuts and beverages to purchase from our Leos.

Dozens hooked at fishing derby

We had a great turnout at our Hooked on Fish event April 23 at the Horticulture Pond between Poulsbo Middle School and Poulsbo Elementary School.

Click on the link below to see more photos:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.549779578538195.1073741851.357712174411604&type=1&l=9ec0885bb7

Lions Herb Armstrong (chair of the event) and Tom Stark

Lots of trout caught at Fishing Derby

It's not hard to tell Lion Herb is in charge of our Fishing Derby with a cap like that!



A table was set up with bait, bobbers and more at the NK Horticulture Pond Saturday, April 25.

Lion Kent Lord's grandson, Thorne Tolliver cleans fish (below). Thorne is a sophomore at North Kitsap High School.

Herb and Kent

It was a beautiful day, though a little wet and chilly in the early morning.

Lions Elda, John and Patrick helped young fishermen get set up.



Poulsbo Middle School Leo Alex Vousboukis and a happy fisherman. Alex removed the hook from the fish for this boy.

These happy faces greeted all who entered through the chainlink fence and gate. (Left to right): PMS Leo Abby Sheldon and volunteer Inga Mansker-Stoker, and NKHS Leos Jenae Arnold and Kiley Pugh offer refreshments. Lions Elda Armstrong, John MacDonald, and Patrick Osler are standing around the table on the right.

Our club provided the refreshments - doughnuts, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, tea and water - while Leos benefitted from the donations.



King Lion Dennis Peters and his grandson, Mason, show off the live trout in the Ziploc baggy.

Fishing for the big one

Photos by Lion Terry Blais

For many years, Lion Herb Armstrong has chaired the Hooked on Fishing Derby event. For one day in April every year, kids aged 11 and under can come and fish for rainbow trout for free.

 

This April 19th day was chilly with a few sun breaks, but the banks of the pond - located between Poulsbo Elementary and Poulsbo Middle schools, was lined with kids and parents, or grandparents.

 

 

Our club not only has a bunch of fishing poles kids may use, but also offers services such as attaching a hook on a line (as Lion John MacDonald is doing above for 7-year-old Regan Vincent), teaching a kid how to cast, explaining what a bobber is, and putting bait on the hook. Worms and power bait was available to everyone.

 

 

Lion Chuck Weaver brought his granddaughter, Hanna, to fish. She caught this on her first cast!

 

 

North Kitsap High School freshman Thorne measures and cleans fish for kids like Lorenzo, above. This fish was 16" long - the biggest catch of the day.

 

 

Lion Pat Olsen and his wife, Jessica, were able to enjoy the event after Pat worked so hard to clean brush from around the pond last week.

 

 

Lion Lynnea Heerman brought her camera and little dog to the event.







Work party helps clean up pond

Photos by Terry Blais

 Lion Patrick Olsen (above) led the pond clean-up efforts Friday, April 11, between Poulsbo middle and elementary schools. The work party cleared litter, branches and more from the pond, which was stocked with 480 trout for our club's annual Hooked on Fishing Derby.

 

Lion Steve Calhoun loads blackberry vines and other debris into a wheelbarrow.

 

Lion Kent Lord chats about the clean-up plan with Bill Stock of Trout Unlimited.

 

Lion Tom Settle got a weed eater capable of cutting back some saplings growing along the banks.

 

Ducks and Canada geese enjoy the far side of the pond. It's really a pretty area.

 

Pat Allen of Trout Unlimited dons chest waders to pull out cattails in the pond. Our Hooked on Fishing Derby is Sat., April 19, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.