NEWS RELEASE

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

November 18, 1997

CONTACT: Lt. Joy M. Hill (352) 732-1225

NEW FISHING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKS FOR ORLANDO

Did you ever just want to go fishing but gave up the idea because you didn’t know where to go or what equipment to use, or you figured you wouldn’t catch anything anyway? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recognizes that there are lots of potential anglers out there who would like to take the family fishing for a couple of hours now and again but feel that the whole thing is just too complicated to even bother with.

"We want to change that," said Scott Hardin, organizer of a new FWC program called Fish Orlando!. "Fishing is a wholesome, fun activity that the whole family can enjoy and we want to make it easy and productive for people to do in the greater Orlando area. So, we’ve proposed a new concept - Fish Orlando!."

Specifically, the program will focus on improving fishing at 12 lakes in the greater Orlando area by building fishing piers, stocking fish, providing handicapped accessible fishing areas, holding fishing clinics and contests, educational workshops and more for Orlando area families and visitors. Fish Orlando! will work in conjunction with the FWC’s current Central Florida Urban Fisheries Project that, since 1991, has teamed with the city of Orlando’s Bureau of Streets and Drainage to improve urban fishing.

Through that partnership, the Urban Fisheries Project has improved fishing opportunities for urban anglers on lakes Lorna Doone, Santiago, Richmond and Ivanhoe, by stocking channel catfish and sunshine bass, and by providing automatic fish feeders and improved bank fishing access. It has also brought the joys of fishing to thousands of inner city children by teaching them how to fish and providing areas in which to do it.

The program has been so successful that it was recently honored with an Environmental Preservation Award presented in Orlando to the FWC and city of Orlando by U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt.

Fish Orlando! will expand the Urban Fisheries concept to include another dozen lakes in the greater Orlando area through the resources, time and efforts of various entities.

"Partnerships will be the key to Fish Orlando’s! success," said Hardin. "We envision businesses, civic groups, volunteer organizations and local governments joining together to make this idea work for everyone." Several have already gotten on board including the cities of Orlando and Winter Park, Soldiers to Scholars Program, Florida Citrus Sports, The Sports Authority, B&B Taxidermy, Gene Dobbs Taxidermy and Bass Challenger Guide Service.

The FWC welcomes sponsors and partners for this ambitious project and has already scheduled several events for the remainder of this year and next. The first official event of Fish Orlando! is a fishing derby dubbed "Punt, Pass and Fish" and will be held on December 29 at Lake Lorna Doone in conjunction with the annual COMPUSA Florida Citrus Bowl activities.

The event will pair inner city youngsters with players from teams competing in the Citrus Bowl for a morning of fishing. Here’s a rundown of some of what’s being planned for 1998:

• January: the FWC will tag 100 black crappie for a "crappie-thon" in Lake Lawne and Clear Lake. Local businesses will provide prizes for anglers who catch tagged fish.
• February: the FWC and Orange County will sponsor the annual "Fish for the Fun of It" derby at Blanchard Park. The FWC will also tag 100 largemouth bass in Clear Lake, Lake Underhill and Lake Ivanhoe for a "bass-thon" in which local businesses will provide prizes for anglers who catch tagged fish.
• April: the FWC and the city of Orlando, in cooperation with local businesses and property owners, will sponsor an Earth Day cleanup at Clear Lake. There will also be a kids’ fishing event sponsored by the FWC, Winter Park YMCA and the city of Winter Park Parks and Recreation Department at Lake Medsen.
• May: the FWC will hold a boating safety class for youths ages 12-15, followed by a day of fishing. Youths will be paired will local bass club members.
• June: the FWC and the city of Orlando will sponsor the National Fishing Week Derby at Lake Lorna Doone.
• August: the FWC will sponsor the Lake Dot Community Fishing Derby.
• September: the FWC and the city of Casselberry will sponsor the Oktoberfest Derby at Secret Lake.
• October: the FWC will hold a boating safety class for youths ages 12-15, followed by a day of fishing. Youths will be paired with local bass club members. There will also be a Healthy Kids fishing clinic/derby for pediatric oncology patients.

So, how can you become part of Fish Orlando! ? There are lots of ways. Fish Orlando! Is a great way for civic groups or scout troops to contribute to their communities, and for businesses to support a wholesome community activity. Business sponsors are needed to provide funding or materials for projects such as fishing piers, informational kiosks, printed materials and prizes for fishing events. Volunteers are needed to help clear and sod bank fishing areas, build fishing piers and docks, and help out at fishing events. There is a way for everyone to help and to benefit at the same time.

If you would like more information on Fish Orlando! please call the Fish Orlando! line at (407) 317-7009 or Scott Hardin at (850) 488-4068.