FISHING : Stocked Pond to Provide Anglers a Reel Good Time : * The Simi Valley park’s waters will teem with catfish when youngsters gather for the 18th annual Huck Finn Derby.

Huck Finn never had it this good.

By the time kids in the Huck Finn Fishing Derby drop a line Saturday, about 1,500 catfish--one to 1 1/2 pounds each--will have been dumped in the Simi Valley pond where 800 or so little anglers gather every year.

If the kids don’t land one, it won’t be for lack of fish. According to Doug Gale, recreation supervisor for the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, the children generally have the opposite problem: too many fish.

“The first 30 seconds of the derby, I’ve seen seven poles bent with fish on them,” he said.

The free event is for kids age 14 and under. The fishing begins at 7 a.m. and runs until 10 a.m. at Rancho Simi Community Park’s pond near Royal Avenue and Erringer Road.

The whole idea is to see who can catch the three-fish limit first, but prizes also go to the fisherman who hauls in the biggest and the smallest fish.

This will be the 18th annual derby, but it came close to getting the ax. Last year’s state budget cuts cost the park and recreation district nearly $1 million, putting the derby on the cutting block.

However, private contributions saved the event, according to Gale. Donations totaling $3,250 came in from the Simi Valley Kiwanis Club, Simi Sunrise Rotary Club, Datron Systems Inc., Simi Valley Hospital and Health Care Services and Aspen Outpatient Center.

The donations paid for the prizes, awards and the 1,900 pounds of fish the pond will be stocked with prior to the derby.

“For a lot of kids, it’s their first fishing experience,” Gale said. And it’s a time for parents to share their expertise. If they don’t have any, members of the Simi Rod and Reel Club will be there to share pointers.

The rules are few: no live bait, except worms; use a single hook, and no spinners are allowed.

“We discourage casting,” Gale said.

Kids bring their own poles and bait. Sometimes the poles are handmade, such as the bamboo pole one boy made in Cub Scouts a few years back. He had dug his own worms, and when that proved futile, he resorted to cheese on his hook.

“Some of them use stinky cheese,” Gale said of the bait concoctions. “Most want to keep that secret.”

And do the kids pull in some whoppers? In past derbies, he said, top anglers have pulled out three- to four-pound fish.

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The Huck Finn Fishing Derby probably will get some kids hooked on fishing. If so, there are several spots around the county where parents can take children who are new to the sport.

The pond at Rancho Simi Community Park is ideal for kids because it’s open year-round, but only to children and senior citizens. And the fish aren’t puny. It’s not uncommon for fishermen to catch bass there in the four- to six-pound range, Gale said. Three months ago someone caught a nine-pound bass.

Lake Piru, east of Fillmore, is another spot on the list of recommendations by Fish and Game Warden Bob Puccinelli.

The lake is stocked with 162,000 trout from mid-October to mid-May, and other fish include bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish. Average fish caught are in the three-quarter pound range.

There is a $5 per-car charge to use the facilities, which include a bait and tackle shop and a snack bar. Families also can rent boats and fishing equipment.

Lake Casitas near Ojai is a good spot for kids because it has two fishing piers with railings around them, as well as two shorter docks from which anglers can toss a line.

It also has a $5-per-car charge. Boat rentals are available, along with bait and tackle.

On the average, fishermen reel in trout up to a pound. The lake is stocked with catfish and trout, and other fish include bass, crappie, perch and bluegill.

But the chances for a big one are good. In 1991 an angler pulled in a record 44-pound catfish, and the record for large mouth bass is 21 pounds.

Other fishing spots to consider include Matilija Lake, off California 33 near Ojai, and the Port Hueneme pier at the end of Ventura Road.

The good news about licensing is that anglers under 16 don’t need one. (For those who do, the cost is $23.65, or $13.90 for ocean fishing only.)

But keep in mind the rules about size and limit. For trout and bass, the limit is five fish, but the bass must be at least 12 inches. For catfish, the limit is 10 fish with no restriction on size.

* FYI

The Huck Finn Fishing Derby, sponsored by Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, will be held Saturday, 7 to 10 a.m., at Rancho Simi Community Park, near Royal Avenue and Erringer Road, Simi Valley. Open to kids age 14 and under at no cost.