National Fishing and Boating Week is June 2 through June 10, 2007. This is the perfect time to celebrate Mississippi's bountiful fisheries resources, as well as relax.

Let's look at a few quotes regarding fishing...

President Herbert Hoover once said, “Fishing is the chance to renew one's soul with pure air. It brings meekness and inspiration, reduces one's egotism, smoothes over troubles and shames our wickedness.”

And President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “The problems of juvenile delinquency decrease in direct proportion to the opportunities of our young people to enjoy outlets for their energies in sports...I have observed the resourcefulness and stability of young who have had an opportunity to learn how to take care of themselves...as fishermen.”

President Eisenhower was correct in what he said. Sometimes I wonder if many of the problems of our young people could not be solved by introducing them to activities that are wholesome and result in a greater appreciation of the world around them, not become hostile to it. And there is no better time than the present to introduce them to fishing. According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, 85 percent of freshwater anglers are introduced to fishing by age 13.

Like many homes that are blessed with the internet, CNN and satellite television, the great state of Mississippi is blessed with quality farm ponds, reservoirs, oxbow lakes, rivers and streams. We are also the beneficiaries of good fisheries management by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the USDA Forest Service.

To celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week, the following fishing events have been organized: Oktibbeha County Lake – Fishing Rodeo, June 2; Florewood Plantation Lake – Fishing Rodeo, June 2; Turcotte Field Station – Katfishin’ Kids, June 2; Clarksdale CAP Pond – Fishing Rodeo, June 2; Neshoba Lake – Fishing Rodeo, June 9; USACE Ponds at Grenada Lake – Fishing Rodeo, June 9; and Holmes County State Park – Fishing Rodeo, June 9.

During National Fishing and Boating Week, I encourage you to carry your son, daughter, niece, nephew or other young person fishing. The values it will instill will last a lifetime. And there is no better way to celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week while you still can!

And finally a conservation message by Forrest Gump, “When you go fishing, never keep the little fish. You won't eat them, and the big fish will.”