At Fort Trumbull State Park, people spent their Saturday fishing on the pier and participating in the state's Saltwater Fishing Day.
One little girl says she's caught a few fish with her dad before and was determined to do it again.
"It's when you catch a fish because you get to take some home and eat it and you get to cook stuff," said Isabelle Santiago, of Quaker Hill.
A mother-daughter duo was also out in the sun, casting their fishing rods.
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"I think it's great. It's a really nice opportunity and I didn't really have anybody to teach me this kind of thing either. it's really nice to get to learn more about catching specific kinds of fish," said Shayna Ivanitskyy, of Bolton.
And there are quite a few fish along the Thames River.
"We're seeing some summer flounder, some winter flounder, we're seeing sea robins, some crabs being caught, a wide variety," said Justin Wiggins, a member of Connecticut's Aquatic Resources Education or CARE program. "That's one of the really cool things about fishing along Long Island Sound and the ocean. You could catch dozens and dozens of fish so it's a little bit excitement of the unknown."
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Wiggins and other so-called "fishing coaches" were there to give people lessons and pointers.
They hosted the event alongside members of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Leave No Child Inside program, which encourages families and kids to enjoy the outdoors.
"We do this just so people kind of get an idea of how simple fishing off a pier really is. How successful and productive it can be," said Wiggins.
Organizers say you don't need any prior fishing experience or equipment. They provide the rod, the bait, and instructions.
