'Casting For A Cure' Fishing Tournament

McKENZIE (June 15) — Children, newborn to age 15 participated in the Casting For a Cure fishing tournament at McKenzie City Park on Saturday, June 15.

Steve McCadams hosts the annual event to encourage children to fish and to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

McCadams, a McKenzie native and MHS graduate class of 1972, created the event almost 30 years ago. Carroll Lake was the venue for the first 20 years. That’s where McCadams enjoyed fishing as a youth and where he participated in the annual Jaycees Fishing Rodeo. The event was changed to the pond at McKenzie City Park at the invitation of then-Mayor Jill Holland. That invitation followed a massive flood that damaged the spillway at Carroll Lake, which closed the 100-acre TWRA lake for a few years. The pandemic also halted the tournament for a few years. McCadams said it’s here to stay now. He commented that many children catch their first fish at the annual tournament.

McCadams gets his high school friends and family to assist in the annual project.

The event began at 9 a.m. Youngsters lined the banks of the pond and with the help of their friends and family, cast their lines into the pond that was recently stocked with catfish.

Winners were:
Longest Travel — Carter Boyd from Bartlett.

Age 6-Under: Biggest Fish — Allen McCracken of Big Sandy and Most Fish — Cinch Boane of Gleason.

Age 6-8: Most Fish — Oliver Arnold of McKenzie and Biggest Fish — Carter Boyd of Barlett.

Age 9-12: Most Fish — Ripken Brown and Biggest Fish — Bentley Siler of McKenzie.

Ages 13-15: Most Fish — Hayden Boane of Gleason and Biggest Fish Byden Cole of Dresden.

Each of the winners received a new bicycle.

Additional prizes included tackle boxes, Predators’ swag, fishing rods, sunglasses, etc.