Mark Brisson grew up attending his grandfather's fishing vacations at Lake Waccamaw and staying in a house his family rented right across from Flemington Hall facing the Boys & Girls Homes campus. 

"Once I got my driver's license, you can ask anyone, if you needed to find me, I was either on the baseball field or on the lake, fishing," he said. 

Brisson kept the fishing tradition going in his own family teaching his 7-year-old son to fish near their home in Sunset Beach. After his grandfather, John Bodnarick, passed away recently, Brisson wanted to organize a big fishing event for the whole Lake Waccamaw community. 

The Lake Waccamaw Youth Slam, the area's first children's fishing tournament, will be May 24 at Lake Waccamaw. Registration is $100 per boat, and anglers should bring their own tackle. Brisson is giving the proceeds to Boys & Girls Homes. The fishing boat launch will be at 7 a.m. with a noon weigh-in, lunch and first, second and third place prizes like Biggest Fish or Smallest Fish for different age groups. Young anglers up to age 17 can participate but must ride on their family's vessel. 

To sign up and pay the registration fee, folks can scan the QR code on the poster. The registration deadline is May 15 to allow for catering counts. 

Area businesses such as River Outdoor Apparel and Eastern Carolina Sportsman are a few of the event's sponsors. 

Brisson said he hopes the event inspires his son to a lifetime love of fishing. 

"For my son, I want him to be proud of me and remember this," he said. "This lake has always been special to me. In fact, I've written songs about Lake Waccamaw."