At his first Youth Fishing Day, Cameron Diego Moore-Kleimann helped his father reel in at least seven catfish. Along with participating in one of his favorite activities on Monday, the 6-year-old was thrilled to catch his largest fish to date -- a 9-pounder.

"It's [been] great," said Cameron's father, Henry Kleimann of Taylorsville. "That's what he loves to do is fish. We [usually] fish the river or Manning Mill up in Adairsville."

Sponsored by the Bartow County Bass Club, Youth Fishing Day drew anglers 14 and younger to Dellinger Park Lake, 100 Pine Grove Road in Cartersville. From 7 a.m. to noon, youths, who were accompanied by adults, cast their lines into the catfish-stocked water.

By 11 a.m., the Kleimanns' largest catches were 7 pounds and 9 pounds, each of which took about 15 minutes to capture.

"He was very excited. This is the biggest fish he's ever caught," Kleimann said, referring to the 9-pounder. "He's been wanting to catch a big fish all day. He almost gave up."

Although the event, which generally attracts about 350 people, did not have a large turnout, James Gordy -- assistant director of the Cartersville Parks and Recreation Department -- said the smaller response had its advantages.

"It's a little bit lower than normal but really it's a blessing for those that came because they're able to have plenty of room to fish," Gordy said. "If you have large numbers it gets crowded and a lot of people get discouraged throwing over each other's lines. Today, there's a lot more room for kids to fish."

The Youth Fishing Day and the upcoming Senior Fishing Day are held in conjunction with National Fishing and Boating Week June 5 to 13. Scheduled for Friday, the free senior event for individuals 50 and older will be held at Dellinger Park Lake from 7 a.m. to noon. As with the youth offering, senior adults will be served hot dogs and soft drinks following the gathering.

Along with providing individuals the opportunity to participate in an outdoor sport, Gordy said the angling events that have been held for more than 20 years each help promote fishing for future generations.

Along with the Kleimanns, a prime example of this was the McKnight family. During Youth Fishing Day, Colby McKnight of Cartersville enjoyed the opportunity to fish with his three sons: Tyler-Xavier, Zachary-Daniel, both 5, and 9-year-old Colby James.

"This is actually our first time ever fishing all together," McKnight said. "It seems like I'm just untying lines once they get them tangled up but they're having fun. I've been fishing with my older son before they came along, when he was about their age, but this is the first time the four of us are fishing together."

For more information about Senior Fishing Day, call 770-387-5626 or visit www.cityofcartersville.org/index.aspx?nid=371.