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.
 

Fishing derby date set for April 25, 2026

 

We have a date for our next FREE Hooked on Fish Fishing Derby - Saturday, April 25, from 7 am to 1 pm at the Horticulture Pond by Poulsbo Middle School.

As in previous years, Poulsbo Lions will stock the pond with trout, including lunkers! Kids aged 12 and under may fish for FREE. Lions have fishing poles, bait and tackle available, as well as assistance. Heck, we'll even clean your trout for you! 

North Kitsap Leos will be on hand to sell donuts, coffee, water and more as a fundraiser for their club. 

Fishing derby a great success

Donuts, goslings and a good time fishing... What more do you need? Our Hooked on Fish fishing derby has it all! Lions will be at the pond at Poulsbo Middle School till 2 today only. Poles and bait are available to borrow.

Families with kids aged 12 and under showed up for a pleasant day fishing at the Horticulture Pond by Poulsbo Middle School.

Lion Tom Settle cleans a trout for 4-year-old Eisen with his parents looking on.

Poulsbo Middle School Leos selling donuts, hot chocolate, coffee and water.

Poulsbo Lions (l to r): Karl Ostheller, Dennis Deitch, Pat Osler (back), President David Damazo (sitting), Ken Hatten (yellow vest), Scott Puhn (front camo) and Tom Settle.

 The fishing derby was chaired by Pat Osler with help from Tom Settle. The two organized a clean-up around the pond beforehand, as well as a time to go through the fishing poles and other equipment to ready everything for fishing day.

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.
 

Get Hooked on Fish Sat., May 10

 

We are once again hosting a great family event - our FREE Hooked on Fish fishing derby for kids aged 12 and under - on Saturday, May 10, at the horticulture pond by Poulsbo Middle School on Hostmark Street.

Poulsbo Lions have rods and reels, tackle and bait available for kids who don't have it. We offer assistance and free fish cleaning! The trout have gone into the pond and we're hoping the kids catch them before the ospreys do.

Our Leo kids will be selling donuts, water, coffee, etc. to raise funds for their group. We hope you'll come out to support this wonderful event!
#freefishing #poulsbowa #hookedonfish #weserve #funtimes #allaboutthefish

169 kids show up for annual fishing derby

 

We have more photos to share from our annual Fishing Derby Saturday. And the facts: 169 kids showed up to fish. There were more 15 inch or larger fish caught than the smaller 10 inch. And the two largest fish at 20 inches each were caught within the final 20 minutes of the derby and by the same family!

Please enjoy these happy smiles.

 

#fishingderby #2024troutsuccess #poulsbolions #familyfun #weserve #happykids

 

 

 

 

Fishing derby draws lots of Lions, princesses and kids with their families

 

Lions Andy Hento and Elda Armstrong with her helper, Dave

Though it's a bit on the cool side today, plenty of families are showing up for our annual fishing derby at the pond by Poulsbo Middle School. There's still time to fish if you haven't gotten out there yet - Lions are there till 1 p.m.

 

Check out the Canada goose family, the osprey (earlier it plucked a trout out of the pond and flew away with it), and enjoy some concessions sold by NK High Leo Club students.

#fishingderby #poulsbolions #lotsoftrout #ospreyfishing #goosefam #donutsandcoffee #nkleo #wecleanfishtoo #freefamilyfun

 

Lions Rick Wright and Tom Settle getting poles set up.

Finn, 8, and Kelly Norton of Kingston show the second trout they caught today at our fishing derby.

Lion Dan Vogel works with a hook and line

 

Lions Lee Metcalf, Tom Settle, Rick Wright, Dick Prine, President Larry Linn and Dave Demazo in front. Many Lions were on hand in what is one of our most popular events of the year.

NKHS Leos sold concessions - donuts, hot coffee and water, etc.

Grab rod and reel for some fishing fun for kids

 

Our fishing derby is tomorrow, Sat., April 27! We want to thank DTG Recycling for providing a sanican, as well as Dan at Blue Water Distributing for donating worms.

 

Random facts: There are some 23-inch trout in the pond, and we added 186 trout, so we hope they all get caught! One trout is at least 4 pounds. Also, our Leo students will be selling concessions, so bring a few bucks for coffee and donuts. We will also have our Viking Fest Pancake Breakfast tickets available for purchase - $12 adult/$6 kids 12 & Under.

 

#fishingderby #wecleanfish #weserve #wehavepolesandbait #funfamilytime #poulsbolions #donutsandcoffee #ospreys

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.
 

Blue Water provides fishing worms once again

 

Thanks to Dan from Blue Water for donating great worms for our fishing derby! Dan has supported our Poulsbo Lions with worms for at least three years now. It's wonderful - and those worms definitely get some big trout!

Our fishing derby is 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow (Sat., April 28) and is free for kids aged 12 and under. Bring what fishing gear you have. We will have poles and other items to borrow. #fishingderby #300lbsfish #kidsfishing #poulsbolions #WeServe

 

 

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

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".

$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!

 

Thanks for coming to our fishing derby!

 Another successful fishing derby is in the books. Thanks to all for coming!

 

Great time for kids!