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Quincy Swanagan helps his son, Bronx Swanagan, 6, as they fish Thursday during Family Fishing Night at Panther Creek Park.

Michael Kinney of the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife, left, helps Carson Williams, 13, set up his rod and reel before he tries his luck fishing Thursday during Family Fishing Night at Panther Creek Park.

Quincy Swanagan helps his son, Bronx Swanagan, 6, as they fish Thursday during Family Fishing Night at Panther Creek Park.

Michael Kinney of the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife, left, helps Carson Williams, 13, set up his rod and reel before he tries his luck fishing Thursday during Family Fishing Night at Panther Creek Park.

More than 300 people were expected Thursday night for Foust and Cravens elementary schools’ first Family Fishing Night at Panther Creek Park.

And by 4:30 p.m., they were already coming in.

With a response like that, Amanda DeLacey, Cravens’ Family Resource Youth Services Center coordinator, said there will “absolutely” be a second night of fishing next year.

Jen Hester, who has the same position at Foust, started the ball rolling when she sent a survey out to families with different events the school could host that students and parents were interested in.

Fishing got a “huge response,” she said.

Volunteers from First Baptist Church were grilling hot dogs for the families Thursday night, to go with chips and a dessert.

Seventy fishing poles and bait were provided for families, and many brought their own supplies.

Several booths were set up in a picnic shelter with information from various agencies for the families.

Coleman Ellis, 8, brought his own equipment.

He said he goes fishing as often as he can.

The biggest fish he’s caught was a catfish, Coleman said, but he wasn’t sure what it weighed.

Amber Brown, a second-grade teacher at Foust, was there with her daughter, Parker, a kindergarten student.

When her mother asked Parker how many fish she planned to catch, she held up one finger.

“In the car, she was going to catch five,” Amber Brown said with a laugh.

Parker said there was “no way” she was going to put a worm on her hook.

Robert Williams said, “I’ve never fished a day in my life, but my kids wanted to come. So here we are.”

Asked if they were planning to catch and release or take the fish home, he laughed, “I’m not taking them home.”

“We want to focus on building relationships with families to and to get them to do things they wouldn’t normally do,” Hester said earlier. “This is a great opportunity for families to interact with each other and build a community.”

The lake covers roughly six acres and is 12 feet deep at its deepest point.

In February, the state stocked it with 750 rainbow trout and 900 catfish.

It also has crappie, bluegill and largemouth bass.

eith Lawrence, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com.

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