Film crew wraps up shooting at Kids' Fishing Day
Pictured above, Alexis Burdiss, 5, of Cassville, makes a critter stamp headband with Ginger Burdiss.
May 20, 2015
Charlea Mills
This year, Kids’ Fishing Day garnered some extra attention thanks to a visit from a special fisherman. This year, Outdoor Channel’s “STIHL Reel in the Outdoors with Joe Thomas” filmed a show for their upcoming season at the park.
During the day, Thomas and his film crew visited with children fishing, toured the park, showed off the Outdoor Channel truck and boat, and enjoyed the beauty of Roaring River. Thomas said that Kids’ Fishing Day was nothing like anything he’d experienced before. He said, “I’ve done a lot of kids’ fishing events across the country, mostly for charity, but I’ve never been to one where the fishing was as off the hook as it was here. The parents were all so into it. I’d have to rank it as the best kids’ fishing event I’ve ever been to.”
This year, the park handed out 1,062 fishing tags to kids 15 and under to fish the park. There were also a number of classes and special events, including music, for kids once they caught their limit.
Thomas said, “It was way better than I imagined, not that I didn’t expect it to be great, but from the second the whistle went off, the kids were smiling, the fish were flopping and the parents were excited. It was great.”
Thomas and his crew stayed at the Emory Melton Inn, and Campbell had nothing but glowing things to say about the accommodations. He said, “The rooms were amazing. It was great. They really rolled out the red carpet for us for sure.” They also enjoyed breakfast at the Inn before they left to go film fishing on Table Rock Lake.
Campbell’s show was invited to the park after STIHL expressed an interest in filming a special event to the National Association of State Park Directors. Initially, Missouri State Parks director Bill Bryan invited the show to film at Opening Day, however the winter weather made safe travel to the park questionable for the crew, so they opted to reschedule for Kids’ Fishing Day instead.
Bryan said, “Filming this show at the park allows for a national audience to learn more about the premiere trout fishing available in the area. We hope that featuring Roaring River State Park will encourage even more visitors to plan a trip to Cassville and enjoy all the area has to offer.”
Campbell also commented about Roaring River, “The park is extremely well-kept, that was the first impression I had. I was amazed. The second thing I noticed was the passion of the staff. It’s one thing to be passionate about your job, but every single person was so passionate about this particular event. It was obvious that they really want to make a difference.”
Bryan said, “It was exciting to see so many young people with their families enjoying the park, the event and the activities available. Kids’ Fishing Day is a fun way to introduce kids to fishing and create a lifelong love of the outdoors.”
When Campbell was asked what the most memorable part of the day was, he shared a moment at the beginning of the day. He said, “When we got there just before the whistle, this kid had on a little monkey backpack, knee-high rubber boots and a big floppy hat with his rod ready to go, and he was so cute and so ready to catch a fish. It was so cute we even took pictures.”
The STIHL Reel in the Outdoors with Joe Thomas episode featuring Roaring River State Park’s Kids’ Fishing Day is expected to air sometime this fall on Outdoor Channel.
Charlea Mills
This year, Kids’ Fishing Day garnered some extra attention thanks to a visit from a special fisherman. This year, Outdoor Channel’s “STIHL Reel in the Outdoors with Joe Thomas” filmed a show for their upcoming season at the park.
During the day, Thomas and his film crew visited with children fishing, toured the park, showed off the Outdoor Channel truck and boat, and enjoyed the beauty of Roaring River. Thomas said that Kids’ Fishing Day was nothing like anything he’d experienced before. He said, “I’ve done a lot of kids’ fishing events across the country, mostly for charity, but I’ve never been to one where the fishing was as off the hook as it was here. The parents were all so into it. I’d have to rank it as the best kids’ fishing event I’ve ever been to.”
This year, the park handed out 1,062 fishing tags to kids 15 and under to fish the park. There were also a number of classes and special events, including music, for kids once they caught their limit.
Thomas said, “It was way better than I imagined, not that I didn’t expect it to be great, but from the second the whistle went off, the kids were smiling, the fish were flopping and the parents were excited. It was great.”
Thomas and his crew stayed at the Emory Melton Inn, and Campbell had nothing but glowing things to say about the accommodations. He said, “The rooms were amazing. It was great. They really rolled out the red carpet for us for sure.” They also enjoyed breakfast at the Inn before they left to go film fishing on Table Rock Lake.
Campbell’s show was invited to the park after STIHL expressed an interest in filming a special event to the National Association of State Park Directors. Initially, Missouri State Parks director Bill Bryan invited the show to film at Opening Day, however the winter weather made safe travel to the park questionable for the crew, so they opted to reschedule for Kids’ Fishing Day instead.
Bryan said, “Filming this show at the park allows for a national audience to learn more about the premiere trout fishing available in the area. We hope that featuring Roaring River State Park will encourage even more visitors to plan a trip to Cassville and enjoy all the area has to offer.”
Campbell also commented about Roaring River, “The park is extremely well-kept, that was the first impression I had. I was amazed. The second thing I noticed was the passion of the staff. It’s one thing to be passionate about your job, but every single person was so passionate about this particular event. It was obvious that they really want to make a difference.”
Bryan said, “It was exciting to see so many young people with their families enjoying the park, the event and the activities available. Kids’ Fishing Day is a fun way to introduce kids to fishing and create a lifelong love of the outdoors.”
When Campbell was asked what the most memorable part of the day was, he shared a moment at the beginning of the day. He said, “When we got there just before the whistle, this kid had on a little monkey backpack, knee-high rubber boots and a big floppy hat with his rod ready to go, and he was so cute and so ready to catch a fish. It was so cute we even took pictures.”
The STIHL Reel in the Outdoors with Joe Thomas episode featuring Roaring River State Park’s Kids’ Fishing Day is expected to air sometime this fall on Outdoor Channel.