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Anglers across the state will be able to partake in the Texas Free Fishing Day Saturday.

The event takes place on the first Saturday of June each year.

Typically Texans need a license to fish in any public body of water except for on the designated day.

Adaptive Sports for Kids President Allen Nation encourages everyone to try fishing and added this weekend is a great opportunity for first timers.

“Fishing is a family sport,” he said. “It is great to give someone a day to fish that doesn’t have a license. They may not know if they like to fish or not. It is a great way to be introduced to the sport. If you don’t like it, you are not wasting money on a license that you might not need.”

A.S.K. will hold its second annual fishing tournament at Doornbos Park in Nederland this fall.

“It is always a good thing to get our athletes an opportunity to fish that never get to,” Nation said. “It is a nice thing to do.”

Nation said the event had 54 participants last year, half of which had never fished before.

Those interested in buying a fishing license can visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department online at tpwd.texas.gov.

“Free Fishing Day is a wonderful opportunity for anglers to share their knowledge, skills, equipment and love for fishing with a new participant, yet it’s also more than that,” TPWD Inland Fisheries Director Craig Bonds said. “We hope those trying fishing on this special day will also learn that purchasing a license is an act of conservation. A fishing license purchase is one of the simplest and most effective way people can support fisheries, science and management.”

The website also offers an assortment of resources for those unfamiliar with the sport. Anglers of all ages and experience levels can find help tutorial videos along with maps and lists of tournaments that take place across the state on Saturday.

All of the proceeds from license purchases go towards the TPWD’s on-the-ground conservations efforts, such as fish stocking.

Anyone can also fish free all year in any of Texas’ more than 70 state parks.