Excitement spread within the Somerset Academy, Sky Pointe Elementary School in Las Vegas when it was announced that fifth grader, Jaylah Cudal was the winner of this year’s Nevada Free Fishing Day Poster Contest.
“When I first heard that Jaylah had won an art contest, I was so pleasantly surprised,” exclaimed Jeffrey Harris, Jaylah’s art teacher. While her teacher was excited about the award, he is not surprised by her success. “My surprise at the great news came only because Jaylah is such a quiet and very shy girl. I am proud of Jaylah for winning the art contest, but I’m even prouder of the fact that she confidently came out of her shell to share her considerable talent with the world!”
The Las Vegas fifth grader beat out over 200 entries from schools across the state. As the winner, her artwork will be featured on the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s Free Fishing Day poster, which serves as a reminder about Free Fishing Day. Her work will also be displayed in the 2026 Nevada Fishing Publication.
Cudal’s quiet, yet confident personality was shown through her response to winning. “I wasn’t that surprised when I found out that I won the contest, but my parents were surprised. They said things like, good job and gave me high fives!”
“I’ve gone fishing once and I really liked it,” said Cudal. “I went with my family, and I think it would be fun to go with my family more often.”
As the first-place winner, Cudal will be able to celebrate with her family as they will be treated to a fishing outing with a professional angler. She will also receive a framed copy of her artwork, along with a fishing rod and reel.
Second place in the contest went to fifth grader Sadie Jackson from Lund School in Lund (White Pine County), and third place was awarded to Sophie Kapolnai from John W. Bonner E.S. in Las Vegas. Both winners receive a certificate and a fishing rod and reel for placing in the top three.
Free Fishing Day takes place on Saturday, June 14. The statewide event allows anglers to fish any public fishing water in the state without a fishing license, while all limits and other regulations apply. Visit www.ndow.org to find out more about Free Fishing Day events taking place locally.