GULF SHORES, Ala. – Kelly Reetz can’t guarantee everybody will catch a fish Saturday, but you won't catch one if you don’t get a line in the water.

Reetz is heading up the 12th Annual Kids Fishing Jubilee will be April 28 at the Lake Shelby picnic area on beach road.

“We want them to have a good fishing experience,” Reetz said. “Sometimes when you go fishing you just don’t catch something. So here we’ve stocked the lake. We put a net up so the fish can’t go anywhere. We stock it with farm-raised fish, catfish. That way the kids actually get to catch something.

“And it’s a fun family morning. Provided the weather cooperates.”

This year the area around the cove where the fisherman will line up has been cleaned up.

“We’ve cleaned out a lot of the cattails from the area where we’re going to be fishing.” Reetz said. “Maintenance got in there with a backhoe and just really did a good job and pulled a whole lot of stuff out of the lake, opened it up so we have lots more shoreline to fish from.”

Participation in the Kids Fishing Jubilee is free and open to any young person, 15 years of age and younger, who presents a valid ticket at the event, is accompanied by a parent or guardian and wants to enjoy an exciting fishing experience.

Each participant should bring a rod and reel and a stringer. Fishing gear will be provided if needed. Bait will be furnished. Parents may bring an ice chest if desired. Fishing time will be 8 a.m.-noon.

Reetz said Dave Armstrong of Freshwater Fisheries started the Jubilee and she carried on the tradition during her stint as the Naturalist at Gulf State Park.

“He taught us what to do and we took over securing the funds – begging for funds,” she said with a laugh. “The city of Gulf Shores has been very reliable every year. We can count on them to give us some money.

“The city of Orange Beach has donated money occasionally. Winn Dixie makes a donation of bait. We‘ve had other donations from other organizations that come through and made donations.”

She said the purpose of the event is “to encourage families to come out and go fishing and have a good time together.”

Several volunteers will be on hand to retie lines or help with bait or get the fish off of hooks.

“We will have people helping us,” Reetz said. “It doesn’t have to be stressful. If their line breaks and they don’t know how to fix it we’ve got people there to help.”

In years past this was a fall event, but Reetz said the spring weather is more cooperative.

“Over the years the Kids Fishing Jubilee used to be in the fall, September or early October,” she said. “It was nice weather for fishing but we had to cancel it several times because hurricanes or flooding from tropical storms.

“And there’s so many festivals in the fall. Shrimp Fest and many others. So we just moved it to the spring. It’s a lot better. It’s nice, the weather’s pretty and we don’t have to worry about tropical storms. We just have to worry about T-ball.”