It didn't take one diner at Wednesday's fish fry long to make his selection.

For Dr. J. Earl Bowling, the fried fish was catch of the day.

Bowling said he tries to nevermiss the annual spring fish fry put on by the Laurinburg Optimist Club.

"I love the fish," he said Wednesday. "I come to these fish frys every time they have one because it's my son's (Jonathan) 7th years playing out here at the Optimist Park."

The club cooked up close to 800 pounds of flounder and nearly that much shrimp.

The fish fry is the first of the 2009 year and one of four major fund raising events for the Laurinburg Optimist Club.

"We have a spring as well as a fall fish fry," President, Tommy Brigman said. "We have had great community support throughout the years for this fish fry as well as the one in the fall," he said.

The proceeds from the spring fish fry as well as the other three major fund raising events go to the Optimist baseball and softball programs.

"We do these fundraisers so none of the children have to pay to play baseball or softball," said Phillip Hayes, who is the chairman of the baseball and softball committees.

The Optimist volunteers make up to 2,000 or more plates on average at the annual spring and fall fish events, Brigman stated.

The Laurinburg Optimist Club has close to 85 members on the roll and close to 50 volunteers helped out with the fish fry on Wednesday.

"I also like the Optimist fish fry because it is volunteer based, " Dr. Bowling said.

The fish fry has been an Optimist event since 1965, which started at the Scotland Inn.

"I have been doing them since they started," Archie McCrimmon said. McCrimmon along with N.W. Quick were charter members of the Laurinburg Optimist Club which started in 1961 but helped starting up the annual fish fries in 1965.

"We proudly have both Archie and N.W. here at the fish fry helping out today," Hayes said.

To become a member of the Optimist Club persons must fill out an application. The application goes in front of a board then is approved or disapproved. If approved, the monthly fee is $30 which pays for a weekly luncheon that goes on every Thursday at the Clinton Inn.

"We are looking for new members all the time," Brigman said.