Kody Muse, age 3, of Redding, caught a digitally weighed 21.88 pound brown trout after a five minute fight Saturday afternoon using a worm and 6 pound test at the Mt. Shasta Fish Hatchery’s Kids’ Fishing Day. 
His father, Tony, said, “Kody was so excited, and the fish was so big that he busted the net.”
“I was excited,” Kody himself said. “We caught a monster trout!”
When asked if he was scared reeling in such a lunker, Kody shook his head and shouted, “No!” Tony plans to have the massive fish mounted for his son.
Monty Currier, associate fishery biologist for the California Department of Fish and Game, said the purpose of Kids’ Fishing Day is to, “Try to get kids into being outdoors and appreciating nature.” Kids’ Fishing Day has been an area staple for 18 years.
At the southeast pond, Jerome Walker of McCloud watched his daughters Niyazmine, age 9, and Alisha, age 4, cast their lines and wait for bites. By early afternoon, they hadn’t had any luck. But neither girl seemed disappointed and Niyazmine said it was just as fun to fish as spend time with her dad.
Wildlands Program Volunteer Cheryl Pike said 749 kids participated in Saturday’s free event. “It’s a blast,” Pike said. “It’s fun talking to the kids, watching their faces. A couple from the Bay Area happened onto it with their kids and they asked if they could just go and look. I asked them, ‘Why would you just want to go and look when you can fish?’ So they took their kids and fished and they had a great time.”
The next Kids’ Fishing Day will be held on Saturday Aug. 16 from 9-3, with free bait and some free loaner tackle available. Contact the Fish Hatchery, 3 Old Stage Road, 530-926-2215 for more information.