CASSVILLE, Mo. (AP) – Missouri Governor Jay Nixon kicked off trout fishing season with a bang of a gun at Roaring River State Park, marking the moment in which anglers could reel in the fish.

The Cassville Democrat reports that Nixon spent Monday night in a cabin and fired the gun at the park’s gazebo at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Nixon said state parks had record attendance last year and that trout parks heavily contributed to the numbers. Afterward, Nixon fished for about 30 minutes, reeling in at least three trout.

The park sold more than 1,000 adult and nearly 200 children fishing tags for the event. Those numbers are less than the approximately 1,200 adult tags and 250 children’s tags in significantly colder temperatures in 2011, the last Tuesday opening.