Area children will have to keep their fishing gear in storage for another week after Greenville Jaycees President William Martin announced on Friday that the third annual Kids Fishing Day has been postponed.

The free fishing day was delayed because of the torrential rain Greenville and the south Alabama region are expecting to see starting today from the effects of Tropical Storm Arlene.

"Just the amount of rain they are talking about, there is no sense of having kids out there trying to fish in it," Martin said.

Martin said the fishing day will be held from 7-11 a.m. next Saturday, June 18.

Children ages 5-14 will be allowed to fish on the pier or along the shore of the upper lake area.

The Kids Fishing Day typically is held during National Boating and Fishing Week, which concludes today.

begins today and continues through next Saturday.

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources commissioner Barnett Lawley also proclaimed today as Free Fishing Day. During that day, residents and non-residents can fish within the state without a fishing license.

But the Free Fishing Day has also been postponed because of the heavy rain expected today, according to Nick Nichols, who is assistant fisheries chief of research for the department of conservation and natural resources.

Nichols said the Free Fishing Day will be scheduled for another Saturday, but was not sure whether it would be this month.

This is the third year the Jaycees have been apart of the fishing day along with the City of Greenville and Wal-Mart. Thousands of catfish will be brought into the lake area and netted off so that the children are all but assured to catch a fish that day on Sherling Lake.

"It's a big deal for the children," Martin said. "The main reason we do this is for those children who do not have a chance to fish, introduce it to them and also get more children involved in fishing. It's a thrill for the Jaycees to get involved in the community and to help children."

More than 70 children participated last year, and Martin said he would not be surprised if that many or more are fishing next Saturday.

Martin said that the kids will be allowed to keep what they catch, but he said there will be a creel limit of 6-8 fish per person.

Following the half day of fishing, a hot dog lunch will also be served to the children.