In 1986, the Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife Enforcement Youth Fishing Tournament was established to introduce the state's young people to the sport of fishing and the catch-and-release approach to conservation. In the ensuing 26 years since the first tournament, the event has grown to include more than 200 contestants participating in each of Delaware's three counties.
This year's 26th annual youth tournament took place in June at three locations across the state:
New Castle - Lums Pond near Bear (dog training area)
Kent County - Wyoming Pond
Sussex County - Ingrams Pond, Millsboro
The three age brackets for the tournament, as always, were: Ages 4-7; Ages 8-11, and Ages 12-15.
When the day was done, 14-year-old Dustin Waller of Georgetown came out as overall statewide winner, as well as the Sussex County winner, with fish weighing in at a total of 4.25 pounds. The biggest fish of the day, a largemouth bass weighing 3.17 pounds, was caught in Kent County by 14-year-old Ronald Degano of Magnolia, who also took first place in his age group.
The overall winner for New Castle County was 12-year-old Emma Griffith of Middletown with 2.81 pounds of fish. Jesse Stoner, age 11, of Middletown, caught a turtle weighing 2.63 pounds. Other New Castle County winners, by age group and total weight of fish caught, were:
Ages 4 to 7
First place – Brandon Wiley, age 4, of West Chester, Pa., 2.33 pounds
Second place – Owen Grossi, age 7, of Wilmington, 1.52 pounds
Third place – Sawyer Wilkins, age 4, of Newark, 0.39 pounds
Ages 8 to 11
First place – Tom Harach, age 9, of Landenberg, Pa., 2.15 pounds
Second place – Lena Grossi, age 10, of Wilmington, 1.00 pounds
Third place – Carter Wilkins, age 9, of Newark, 0.89 pounds
Ages 12 to 15
First place – Sarah Laskowski, age 12, of Bear, 0.82 pounds
Second place – Maura Hossler, age 14, of Smyrna, 0.51 pounds
Third place – Hunter Mazzio, age 13, of Bear, 0.49 pounds
In Kent County, Pierce Clifton, age 13, of Houston, took the title of overall county winner with 3.46 pounds of fish caught. The other Kent County winners, by age group and total weight of fish caught, were:
Ages 4 to 7
First place – Hunter Timmons, age 5, of Dover, 3.02 pounds
Second place – Peyton Timmons, age 6, of Dover, 0.62 pounds
Third place – Billy Walsh, age 7, of Dover, 0.53 pounds
Ages 8 to 11
First place – Kevin Turner, age 9, of Felton, 1.69 pounds
Second place – Nicholas Lynn, age 9, of Felton, 1.52 pounds
Third place – Steven Swann, age 11, of Dover, 1.0 pounds
Ages 12 to 15
First place – Ronald Degano, age 14, of Magnolia, 3.42 pounds
Second place – Anthony Felise, age 14, of Hartly, 1.60 pounds
Third place – Gerard McDonald, age 14, of Dover, 0.60 pounds
In Sussex County, and at Ingrams Pond, the biggest fish of the day was a bass weighing 1.0 pound and caught by 6-year-old Karoline Carey of Georgetown, who also won third place in her age group. The smallest fish of the day was a 0.019-pound blue gill caught by 5-year-old Ellie Payne of Georgetown. Another interesting catch was a 0.52-pound eel caught by James Stangl, age 8, of Milford. Other Sussex winners, by age group and total weight of fish caught, were:
Ages 4 to 7
First place – Tommy Phillips, age 7, of Frankford, 3.5 pounds
Second place – Kayla Harant, age 7, of Selbyville, 1.49 pounds
Third place – Karoline Carey, age 6, of Georgetown, 1.48 pounds
Ages 8 to 11
First place – Sam Lekites, age 9, of Bishopville, Md., 3.16 pounds
Second place – Kelly Phillips, age 9, of Frankford, 1.59 pounds
Third place – Morgan Freund, age 8, of Selbyville, 1.50 pounds
Ages 12 to 15
First place – William Geppert, age 12, of Rehoboth Beach, 3.27 pounds
Second place – Katie Phillips, age 12, of Frankford, 2.45 pounds
Third place – Kellye Rowe, age 12, of Laurel, 1.64 pounds
The winners received fishing poles and tackle boxes as well as trophies, and all the participants received prizes. County winners will be presented with their trophies at the DNREC Awards ceremony on Governors Day, Thursday, July 28 at the 2011 Delaware State Fair in Harrington.
The Youth Fishing Tournament was established to introduce youth to the sport of fishing and to teach the catch-and-release approach to conservation. The free tournament, held annually in June, is open to youth ages 4 to 15.
For more information on the Youth Fishing Tournament, please call 302-739-9913 or visit www.fw.delaware.gov/Info/YouthFishing.htm.
The Division of Fish & Wildlife also would like to thank those companies and individuals who helped sponsor this year's Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament. Their generosity toward making a success of the event for young anglers is greatly appreciated. Donors include:
Regional Elevator Inc.
