As a professional angler and outdoors television personality, Timmy Horton gets to fish in lakes and rivers throughout North America. But the one of his favorite fishing trips every year occurs almost within casting distance of his front door.
Since 1999, Horton, has played host to special-needs anglers for a day of fishing on Pickwick Lake in Sheffield Ala. Horton, who lives in Muscle Shoals, said he looks forward to the annual Timmy Horton Fishing for Kids fishing rodeo with as much enthusiasm as he does any stop on the Bassmaster Elite Series or any of the locations he visits for his Timmy Horton Outdoors TV show.
“It’s always a very special and fun day,” Horton said. “It’s a huge day for our special anglers, they look forward to it all year, every year. It’s also big day for the volunteers. They have as much fun as the anglers. It’s a big day for me, too. I have as much fun at Fishing for Kids as I do at anything I do all year.”
This year’s event was held on Sept. 24. More than 50 special-needs anglers attended along with an army of volunteers.
One of the volunteers, Kendric Baker, an 8th-grader at East Franklin Junior School in Phil Campbell, Ala., said Timmy Horton Fishing for Kids is always fun. “Getting to help people and take them fishing makes you feel great.” This was the second year that Baker has been a volunteer at the fishing rodeo.
Ronnie Leatherwood, of Florence, Ala., who has been a volunteer boat captain at every Timmy Horton Horton Fishing for Kids said he looks forward to the fishing rodeo all year. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything. This is the most fun I have fishing all year.”
Leatherwood and his assistant, Briana Tucker a student angler from Hartselle (Ala.) High School, teamed with special angler Jane Berryman to win this year’s event.
Over the years, Timmy Horton Fishing for Kids has evolved into much more than just a fishing rodeo, Horton said. “It’s like a family reunion. A lot of the same anglers and a lot of the same volunteers come back every year. This is the only time all year that we get to see each other and spend time with each other.”
In addition to going fishing, the volunteers and anglers helped out with the Keep the Shoals Beautiful Tennessee River Litter Tournament by collecting trash from Pickwick and along its shoreline.
