EAGER fisher Kayley Burrowes might be only five years old, but she's not afraid to reel even the most stubborn carp out of the water.

The youngster was one of 52 kids and more than 150 competitors who took part in the annual Surat Fishing Competition and Carpbuster.

Kayley, whose mother Rochelle took her all the way from Dalby to compete, did her part for the local environment by reeling in a big carp from the Balonne River.

She said her love of fishing came from her parents.

"I try to go as hard as I can with the rod," she said.

Ms Burrowes said she wanted her daughter to get a taste of riverways out in the Maranoa.

"It's our first time competing here in Surat," she said.

Surat Fishing Club president Greg Richardson said while carp numbers were down from last year, the number of native fish caught, including cod, were on the rise.

"The nominations were back a little bit and with the river's improvement there were less carp," he said.

"There were some nice cod caught, including an 8.5kg cod."