SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. — At Sweet Arrow Lake in Schuylkill County, kids and families were here bright and early to get a good spot by the lake for the 2024 Mentored Youth Trout Day.
Dylan Hoppes and Mary Osenback, from Summit Hill, arrived at the lake with their kids at 5 a.m. to watch the sunrise.
Brock Killian was with his family, and he got the biggest catch of the day so far with a 3-pound 16-ounce trout fish.
"I think the first cast it wasn't that good it wasn't that lucky, and then the second cast we just put some brand new bait on it and I thought it was just going to be a little fish, but then I pulled it up, it put up a little fight and boom," said Brock Killian, youth angler.
He says he's going to spend the rest of his day trying to catch an even bigger one. His sister, Elaina Killian, wants to follow in his footsteps, "I'm trying to get a really big fish like my brother," she said.
Garrett Ball from Pine Grove came to the event with his son, Boston. He was at last year's Trout Day event but says this year's event is much better, "It was a little colder, more rainy, definitely not as many people as there are today, so it's nice to come up here and see the good turnout and the beautiful weather and people catching fish."
Families with their children lined the lake and enjoyed the day even if they had no luck catching some fish.
"It's pretty bad today, but no one is getting any fish. They're probably sad, but at least everybody is having a great time today," said Shaniya Lou McNally, youth angler.
The 2024 Mentored Youth Trout Day is an all-day event for families and their kids, and many expressed that they can't wait to fish for some trout again next year.