How Leelanau organized the largest fishing day for kids in Michigan

Leelanau County’s annual Kids Fishing Day, taking place this Sunday at Veronica Valley Park in Lake Leelanau, is the largest event of its kind in the entire state of Michigan, according to Alan Campbell, who has been leading the organization of the event — and its continuation — since its founder, Pete Taylor, passed away several years ago.

Kids Fishing Day began in 2004, but its roots go back even further. According to a tribute to Pete Taylor that appeared in a winter/spring 2020 Lake Leelanau Lake Association (LLLA) newsletter, Pete and his wife Mary had moved to Leelanau County in 1989 and quickly became involved with the LLLA. That involvement eventually led to the creation of Kids Fishing Day.

“Mary was the first woman on the board and subsequently served as president for one term,” the LLLA citation states. “Pete became chairman of the Fisheries Committee. In that role, he became friends with Todd Kalish, the DNR’s fisheries biologist for the area. The two worked together to stock bluegill in Lake Leelanau. It was actually Todd’s idea to have a fishing day for kids, but it was Pete who got it started.”

Although Kids Fishing Day eventually found its home at Veronica Valley Park, a 220-acre park with no fewer than six ponds, the first event was held in 2004 at Joe Vlack Memorial Park in Cedar. “It turned out to be a disaster,” recalls the LLLA newsletter. “Anglers heard about the fish planting and fished the pond dry before the event. There was hardly any parking for visitors next to the pond and there were tons of mosquitoes. The disappointing outcome, however, did not dampen Pete and Todd’s enthusiasm for such an event.”

While Joe Vlack Memorial Park had proven unsuitable, another prospect emerged. Bill and Diane Grant, owners of the nine-hole Veronica Valley Golf Course, wanted to sell the land, which had been vacant for about four years at the time. Taylor approached the couple about using their property as the new home for Kids Fishing Day. According to LLLA, “the Grants were willing to do so as long as liability insurance was in place.”

So in 2005, the Kids Fishing Day that Leelanau residents know and love was born. Taylor organized it, the DNR offered fishing and law enforcement assistance, a small army of volunteers came to help, and the LLLA covered the costs.

The event went (mostly) smoothly. Organizers had purchased enough bait and hot dogs for the 50 to 100 expected attendees. But about 200 community members showed up to fish at Veronica Valley Park. According to LLLA, “someone had to go out and get more bait and hot dogs.”

Thanks to a grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, the county finally purchased Veronica Valley in 2008.

Two decades after its false start in Cedar, Kids Fishing Day is bigger than ever. Campbell says the event has “no problem at all filling Veronica Valley with people.” And while fishing is still the main focus of the event, Kids Fishing Day has evolved to include a hands-on amphibian exhibit, a fish-themed painting station, fish cleaning and filleting lessons, fly fishing demonstrations, a boat washing tutorial from the LLLA and more.

Campbell says that beyond just growth, enough time has passed to bring certain aspects of Kids Fishing Day to a close.

“I can’t tell you how many local children learned to fish on Kids Fishing Day,” Campbell tells Leelanau Ticker. “Now when I’m at these events, someone always comes up to me and says, ‘I caught my first fish at Kids Fishing Day,’ and those people are grown up now and have their own kids with them. This whole thing has been going on for so long that it’s become a generational shift, which is just so satisfying.”

That “handover” is what makes Kids Fishing Day so important to Campbell as a community event. Interest in hunting and fishing has been declining nationwide for decades. By offering a family-friendly event where kids can fish for free, without a fishing license, and learn the tricks of the sport from longtime enthusiasts, Campbell hopes Leelanau is doing its part to keep the culture around fishing alive.

“I think most people don’t realize this, but most of the DNR’s money comes from hunting and fishing fees,” Campbell explains. “These funds are so important to protecting the natural resources in the state of Michigan, and without them, a lot of things that are important to people who enjoy being outdoors would be lost. It’s important to get the next generation out into the woods and onto the rivers to make sure we have a good source of revenue to protect our natural resources.”

This year’s Kids Fishing Day will be held at Veronica Valley County Park on Sunday (June 30) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 2,500 adult sunfish will be released into the park’s ponds, and although some areas are reserved for children under 14, anglers of all ages are welcome to fish. Free hot dogs and lemonade will be provided — as well as bait and fishing rods for visitors who don’t have any.

Pictured: Kids Fishing Day volunteer Brian Booth poses with two participants in the event’s amphibian demonstration.