ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP — If ever there were a day when the fish were biting, you would be hard pressed to trump the success many anglers had yesterday at a sunny and seasonably warm Lake Vesuvius.

With the zips of the rods and the pops of bobbers smacking into the placid water on the lake’s southwest end, nearly 300 “aspiring” fishermen lined the boardwalk to cast their lines at the Sixth Annual Wheelin’ Sportsmen Fishing Day.

The event — a collaborative project between the South Hills Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and the U.S. Forest Service — allowed the disabled and mentally challenged the opportunity to enjoy a fishing experience with the aid of a full compliment of volunteers ready to tend to any of their special needs.

Ohio University Southern Nature Center, Lawrence County Bass Club and the Ohio Division of Wildlife are also partners in the event. City National Bank sponsored food while OUS sponsored the soda and bottled water. Volunteers from Collins Career Center and Symmes Valley High School distributed the concessions.

The fishing derby, which has been plagued by sketchy weather since its inception, is able to be staged thanks to a handicap-accessible boardwalk constructed earlier this decade around the Vesuvius boat ramp and slips. That boardwalk allowed anglers’ young and old, the opportunity to partake in some of the most exciting fishing organizers have ever seen.

Despite the occasional tangling of lines or rod malfunctions, anglers, stocked with coolers, tackle boxes and a wide variety of gear, were catching fish at a faster clip than organizers could count.

With a state-mandated daily catch rate of five fish, several fishermen obtained their limit within 90 minutes of the event’s 10 a.m. kickoff.

“I guess we got some fish out there that must be as hungry as I am,” announced Earl “Buddy” Fry, a 31-year member and past president of the NWTF.

Carl Bowen, executive vice president of City National Bank, raffled several $50 savings bonds for those who were able to catch their limit in specific time schedules.

As for the guests of honor, the national park service gave anglers a head start by stocking the lake with 1,000 rainbow trout wheeled in from the Castalia Fish Hatchery before the event started.

“I haven’t been fishing in several years and being able to reel them in on a consistent basis has been a blast,” explained Amanda Murphy, 31, who attended with her son and son’s best friend. “Looks like I picked the right bait for the trout.”

Based on many opinions along the boardwalk, any choice of bait really didn’t matter. A sampling of anglers showed fish being enticed with items such as worms, minnows, Powerbait, hot dog buns and even peanut-butter cookie dough.

Fry said one of the reasons the NWTF focuses on helping people with disabilities get involved in outdoor sports is to give them opportunities

“Today has been awesome, this is the best weather we have ever had,” Fry said. “This is a top 10 event for the county and for the participants. It is all about opportunity. This might be the only day of the year many of these people are able to do anything like this.”

Wheelin’ Sportsmen events are popular throughout the state with deer hunts, turkey hunts as well as fishing events.

In July, the group will be hosting an archery event for disadvantaged and at-risk youth at the park’s archery range. Sponsored through the county’s juvenile court system, the event is funded through state substance abuse grant.