NATCHEZ — Families gathered with a sense of pride at the Natchez State Park on April 19 for a local youth fishing rodeo held by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

Locals Adam and Krystal Connerly watched as their son Peyton, 3, caught his first catfish.

“Look, I did it Momma!” Peyton shouted at his mother, short rod in hand.

Adam and Krystal were thankful no travel was needed to enjoy quality family time.

“There’s not a whole lot to do around here with kids,” Connerly said. “We usually have to drive out of town to do something. So this is nice.”

Adam and Krystal’s niece, Ashton Truitt, 2, caught her first catfish a few feet away from Peyton. After her family separated the hook from the catfish’s mouth, Ashton’s intrigue grew.

“I want to touch him,” said Ashton as she gently stroked the fish’s back. “He nasty!”

Another local’s first catch occurred further down the bank when Joss Goldman, 5, reeled in a catfish of her own.

Excited but too shy to convey words, Joss grinned as she received a certificate from state fishing rodeo coordinator Sherry Hazelwood.

Hazelwood firmly believes that every child in Mississippi should be into fishing. As she put it, it’s an event that can easily bring families together.

“Maybe a mother wouldn’t buy a gun and go hunting with their child, but she will go to a local business and buy a rod and wheel,” Hazelwood said.

Further down the bank, Allen Alexander of Vicksburg fished with his stepson, Canon Satcher, 7.

“Reel him in,” Alexander instructed Satcher. “He’s got a tag. Get him. Don’t let him go!”

Once Satcher reeled in his catfish, he took it to Hazelwood, who gave him a new fishing pole for his tag.

The prizes were donated by local businesses for the 11th youth fishing rodeo event put on by MDWFP in 2014. It’s one of 57 rodeos scheduled this year.

“The program has really grown,” Hazelwood said. “We’re trying to create that love for the outdoors. This is our first event at Natchez State Park, and I promise it won’t be the last.”

Locals Arrocus Daskie and his son, Arrocus Daskie Jr., 6, approached Hazelwood with a tag. Unlike Ashton, Arrocus Jr. did not want to touch the fish.

“He loves coming out to fish, especially when he catches something,” Arrocus Sr. said. “But don’t expect him to touch it.”

Along the edge of the bank, Cory and Rebecca hooked hotdog wieners for their children, Madyson, 4, Aubrey, 8, and Caston, 6, to catch catfish with.

The family traveled from Vicksburg to Natchez, and once they heard about the fishing rodeo, it was an event they couldn’t pass up.

“We actually just came to go camping here,” Rebecca said. “We go camping all over Mississippi and Louisiana.”

Delighted with the turnout of several families, Hazelwood enjoyed seeing young kids participating at the event. She is hopeful that it will impact them in a positive way.

“If we can keep these kids on the banks, we can keep them off the streets,” Hazelwood said. “Fishing attracts. It’s bait.”