We LOVE this program!!!

We had a wonderful turnout for our “Start a Kid Fishing” program this year—just look at the happy smiles on these kids’ faces! Remember, any child can stop by to pick out a rod/reel combo AND tackle box of their choice until they reach the age of 13, ’cause these are for kids 12 years and under. Come early (pre-registration day on Friday, or Saturday morning of the derby) to get the best choices, the giveaway continues until supplies last. This year, we had some rod/reel combos left on Sunday, but they were gone before midday. The tackle boxes were gone by mid-afternoon on Saturday.

We gave away more than 60 sets of rod/reel combos and tackle boxes this year and we look forward to doing the same or more next year! Thanks for partnering with us for the tackle boxes, Seneca Resources Company, LLC. We’d also like to give a HUGE thank you to Smitty’s Sports in Gaines and The Tackle Shack in Wellsboro.

In 2019, the PA Grand Canyon Snowmobile Club went around to some of the local sporting goods stores and asked for rod & reel combo donations so that, as part of the Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament, we could host a giveaway program called “Start a Kid Fishing.”

And, boy, did those stores respond, as did our board members, each year since donating as much as they can, so that we can give these rods & reels away to kids who want to learn to fish. For many of the lucky recipients, it’s their very first rod & reel ever or it’s the first one that’s all their own!

Well, trout tournament anglers, our “Start a Kid Fishing” program is set again for this year, 2023, and will begin on the tournament’s pre-registration day, May 19th. If you have kids 12 years of age and under, bring them with you when you register/pick up your badge and we’ll give them a FREE rod & reel combo.

Exciting Announcement for 2023: In addition to the scholarships we award with them, Seneca Resources has partnered with us on this program this year by providing FREE starter tackle boxes. This means that each eligible child will have their choice of a rod/reel combo AND a starter tackle box, courtesy of PAGCSC and Seneca! Thanks, Seneca, for being a partner with us in this wonderful program!

One rod & reel combo per child and each child must be present to pick the rod & reel combo of their choice. Get ’em while supplies last!