Five-year-old's crappie win sparks free youth fishing day at Ratcliff Lake

A free youth fishing day at Ratcliff Lake in Houston County, East Texas, started with a 5-year-old's tournament win, KTRE reports.

King Bard won a Sam Rayburn tournament as its youngest angler with a single crappie. His father, Kory Bard, is a certified angler instructor. He founded Reign Fishing to get more kids on the water and partnered with Texas Parks and Wildlife on the Ratcliff Lake event. Thirty-five children signed up.

TPWD provided first-fish certificates, pins and educational materials. The Angelina County Brookshire Brothers and Academy Sports + Outdoors donated supplies.

Photo: Children fishing from a pier at Ratcliff Lake. Credit: KTRE.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: KTRE — Son's fishing win inspires East Texas father's youth event at Ratcliff Lake (Oct. 25, 2026), by Mellie Valencia.