MDWFP Rodeos spread the fun

The MDWFP-sponsored fishing rodeos offer people of all ages, walks and backgrounds the opportunity to participate. At Neshoba County Lake, the rodeos have become a staple of the community.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks knows how difficult it is to hook new fishermen, and how important it can be to provide access to anglers who no longer can fish on their own.

That’s why the agency’s fisheries wing has developed its Fishing Rodeo Program.

The MDWFP-sponsored fishing events offer people of all ages, walks, and backgrounds the opportunity to participate in the sport of fishing. It targets everyone —under-privileged children, senior adults, handicapped or veterans fishing with family — to provide fun-filled fishing activities that bring people together in a common love of the sport.

“We are touching lives at all ages,” said Rodeo Program Coordinator Sherry Hazelwood, whose efforts once earned her the MDWFP’s Fisheries Employee of the Year recognition. “In children, if we can keep them on the banks we are keeping them off the streets; with seniors, we give them back one opportunity they have otherwise lost.”

It all started at Neshoba County Lake, where she was once the lake manager, and it continues to be an important part of the popular fishing hole.

“Our goal here is to provide a high quality lake where parents can bring their kids and they can have an excellent chance of catching a nice fish,” said Hazelwood.

About Phillip Gentry 406 Articles
Phillip Gentry is a freelance outdoor writer and photographer who says that if it swims, walks, hops, flies or crawls he’s usually not too far behind.

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