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Fishing Event Coordination

Recommendations are based on 20+ years of fishing event experience and feedback from other organizers. They are recommendations and all of them may not be appropriate for your event. We have provided an event contact for each region. This contact can try to help you navigate questions you may have about hosting your own event on your district/forest.

Timeline of Coordination

A sample timeline of when to start a press release, when to contact partners and have them set, when to stock fish, etc..

12 Months Before the Event

  • Starting looking for potential partners.
  • Start discussing internally about pros and cons of location for event.

11 Months Before the Event

  • Go assess locations.

10 Months Before the Event

  • Decide on a location - If work needs to be done at the site to improve the condition schedule that work.

9 Months Before the Event

  • Start having meetings with partners to talk about what each partner will provide for the program and what each organizations role will be for the event.
  • Start working on the site.

8 Months Before the Event

  • Start working on any agreements with your regional agreement staff.
  • Continue having meetings with your partners as needed.

7 Months Before the Event

  • Continue having meetings with your partners as needed.

6 Months Before the Event

  • Begin working with your contracting staff to get any contracts in place for the event (fish, portable toilets, etc.).
  • Set a date for your event.
  • If you are working with schools make sure you are aware of the school calendar for the time that you are looking at.
  • Continue having meetings with your partners as needed.

5 Months Before the Event

  • Continue having meetings with your partners as needed.
  • Make sure that any ground work at the site that is needed has been started.

4 Months Before the Event

  • Continue having meetings with your partners as needed.

3 Months Before the Event

  • Continue having meetings with your partners as needed.
  • If nets are needed for the event have someone check the nets to make sure they are still in working order.

2 Months Before the Event

  • Some time in this month make sure one of the partners begins to solicit for prizes.
  • Start development of the flyer for the event.
  • Continue having meetings with your partners as needed.
  • Make sure all contracts and agreements are on track or in place for the event.
  • If you need to do aquatic vegetation control on the waterbody make sure that is being planned.

1 Months Before the Event

  • Continue having meetings with your partners as needed.
  • Begin to put out flyers and information about the event.
  • Make sure that all prizes and material for goodie bags are in place.
  • Firm up the date with the contractor or the partner for the delivery of the fish.
  • If nets are needed get them set at the end of the month just before the fish are stocked.

Two Weeks Before the Event

  • Get sign in sheets and other documents printed.
  • Make sure you have the bait for the event and get it dispersed if needed.
  • Have a partner meeting to make sure everyone is on the same page.
  • Make sure you have enough supplies for the event (batteries, flagging, tackle, etc.).
  • Make sure EMS or first responders will be on site if you are planning to have them available for safety.
  • Make sure banners are ready.
  • Put out media blitz for the event.
  • Continue having meetings with your partners as needed.
  • Establish what day the fish will be delivered.

One Week Before the Event

  • Set a time for all partners to be at the event to help.
  • If you feel like you will have parking issues make sure to assign some help with parking control.
  • Make sure all prizes are being collected.
  • Continue having meetings with your partners as needed.
  • If one of the partners is providing food for the kids, make sure they have all the food they need.

The Day Before the Event

  • One last walk through to make sure you have everything covered.
  • Look over the site to make sure all the fixes that you talked about as a team got completed.

The Day of the Event

  • Make sure everyone knows their task and role.
  • Check in the participants as they arrive.
  • Have folks available that can get pictures of the event with participants with their catch.
  • Make sure prizes are organized.
  • Have a way to let folks know when they can begin fishing and when they have to stop.
  • Have personnel available that can be floaters that can walk around to check with folks to make sure they don’t need help.
  • Get informal feedback from participants about how the event went and what they would like see done differently.

The Week After the Event

  • Have a meeting to check in with partners about what went well and what could have been improved.
  • Gauge partners involvement for future years.