Take someone fishing and be eligible to win a kayak prize package

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 1, 2025) — The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is hosting a “Mentor to Win” contest to encourage experienced anglers to introduce new people to the fun of fishing this summer.

“Available to everyone regardless of age, background and experience level, fishing is one of the easiest recreational sports to start and enjoy,” said Easton Copley, a conservation educator with the department. “By mentoring new anglers in this fun and relaxing pastime, experienced anglers are eligible to win a kayak prize package from Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.”

Free to enter, and open to anyone licensed to fish in Kentucky for the 2025-2026 license year, the contest winner will receive a new kayak, paddle, personal flotation device (PFD) and two spinning rod and reel combos.

Anglers 16-years-old and older can mentor a new angler, also age 16 or older, at least one time this summer through Aug. 31 to be eligible for the prize package. Both mentor and mentee must possess a valid Kentucky fishing license for their outing. The new angler must have never purchased a Kentucky fishing license or must have not purchased an annual Kentucky fishing license in the last three years.

The mentor will use the MyProfile portal on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website to enter the name and identification number of the person that they took fishing. Mentors can enter as many times as they like by taking multiple people fishing.

Complete contest details are available on the department’s website.

Excellent fishing opportunities are available year-round at waterbodies across Kentucky and can easily be found on the Waterbodies Search page. In addition to many large lakes and streams, more than 40 Fishing in Neighborhood (FINs) lakes are located across the commonwealth to provide excellent fishing close to home.

Additional resources are available to help mentors and beginners alike learn anything they need to know to get started fishing. The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Fishing landing page provides entry to many other digital resources including a quick start guide to Recreational Fishing, weekly Fishing Reports, statewide Fish Stocking schedules and fishing advice and stories from seasoned pros.

The Fish Boat KY app, available for both Apple and Android phones, is a handy fishing tool that will help anglers find waterbodies, boat ramps and other water access on the fly, and lets anglers buy a license, review the Kentucky Fishing and Boating Guide, get the Fishing Forecast, stocking locations and more.​