Fun For Everyone!

Fall 2025

By Steve Hudson

Like most fisherfolk, I have a wish list long as my 9-foot fly rod. It’s got all kinds of things on it, things that would be fun for a while but which I don’t really need.

Instead, what I seem to wish for these days is something much more enduring than a new boat or yet another rod – and that is simply a good place to take the grandkids fishing.

As it turns out, there’s just such a spot not far up the road. It’s the Arrowhead Wildlife Management Area in Floyd County between Rome and Summerville, and it offers fishing designed with kids (AND their grown-ups) in mind.

A fish hatchery in its former life, Arrowhead WMA is a 338-acre site that offers a range of outdoor activities including geocaching, hiking, and wildlife viewing, plus youth hunting opportunities. But the one that’s captured my attention in our present context is this WMA’s youth-oriented fishing.

To be clear, let me note here that the fishing at Arrowhead WMA is not for children only. Adults are welcome to fish there, too, but with an interesting twist.

If you read the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources regs for the site, you’ll learn that “Adults (18 or older) must be accompanied by a child (17 years or younger) in order to fish. Maximum of 2 adults per child.”

Ahhh! So if you want to fish there, you’ve got to take a kid? Exactly! That’s pretty clever if you ask me.

Read further, and you’ll learn that each kid entitles two adults to fish. So I could take a grandkid and we could both fish? Yep!

I like that approach. I like it a lot. It doesn’t say that only the kids can fish, for that can get (how to put it) a little tedious despite our very best grownup intentions. And let’s be honest here. If you’ve ever tried it, you know what I mean.

But allowing adults to fish only if they’re fishing with a kid? That’s genius. It’s a set-up guaranteed to get kids as well as their grownups involved in the sport, and you can’t ask for much more than that.

All of this together makes Arrowhead WMA a great place for kids to learn the angling art. There is plenty of open shoreline where the young ‘uns can cast without worrying too much about hanging up in the trees.

When their lure or fly does hit the water, there’s a pretty good chance that something with fins will grab it. The published regs list largemouth, hybrid striped bass, catfish, and, of course, sunfish and bream. Those can be kept in accordance with daily limits. There are grass carp, too, but those have to be released unharmed.

All in all, that’s more than enough to keep everybody interested. Like I say, who can ask for more?

So, grab your gear, round up your favorite kids or grandkids, and make the trip to Arrowhead WMA. The fishing’s fine, and the kids will never forget.

Steve Hudson is a freelance outdoor writer, book author and award-winning member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association. Steve makes his home in Canton. You can contact him at aa4bw@comcast.net.