Youngsters ranging in age from 6 to 9 who attended professional bass fisherman Frank Godwin’s Fishing With Frank Camp this weak at the Bainbridge-Decatur County YMCA are learning the finer points of preparing and executing a daily fishing experience.

The experience, specifically for 6-to-8-year-olds, began Monday and will conclude Thursday. Each day began with the youngsters feeding the fish and continued with them securing a cane fishing pole, baiting the fishhooks and waiting for the fish to bite them.

On Tuesday, Godwin took the campers on a field trip to the Decatur County Fish Farm. Today and tomorrow they will go fishing for catfish and trout in the YMCA lake. Each morning the campers went to the lake to feed the fish.

Godwin said that each year, a lot of local people work hard to make the camp successful.

“This camp is not about me,” Godwin said. “It is about the local businesses that provided things for the campers. Some parents and grand parents were also there to support their campers.”

Campers cut their own fishing poles from the YMCA’s cane pole forest, and with the help of Godwin and other adults, rigged up their fishing line and hook. Among the baits used were crickets, worms, marshmallows and Vienna sausage.

“This is the third year of our fishing camp and the attendance has really grown,” Godwin said. “The youngsters get really excited when they pull in a fish with a big smile on their face.

A second Fishing With Frank Camp for youngsters ranging in age from 10 to 12 will be Monday, June 15, through Thursday, June 18.