Dagsboro angler wins Youth Fishing Tournament

More than 300 youth anglers turned out on a perfect early summer day June 1 to cast their lines in the 38th annual Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament hosted by the Delaware Natural Resources Police. The competition occurred at Ingrams Pond in Sussex County, Akridge Scout Reservation in Kent County and Lums Pond in New Castle County.

Tournament weighmasters on site at each pond weighed catches for participants ages 4-15 as they competed for each county’s top catch and age-group titles. Last year’s winner, Brody Spencer, 12, of Dagsboro, repeated as tournament champion by catching 5.71 pounds of fish this year in Ingrams Pond in Sussex County.

This year’s overall statewide winner and county winners will be invited to a special trophy ceremony on Governor’s Day, Thursday, July 25, at the Delaware State Fair in Harrington. The Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament was established to introduce youth to the sport of fishing and to teach the catch-and-release approach to conservation.

Sussex County winners

The largest fish of the day was a 1.1-pound catfish caught by Jack Wertz. The smallest fish caught at Ingrams was a tie: Tristan Whitt and Jilian Columna each caught bluegills weighing just 15 grams.

Ages 4-7

First place – Piper Vannicol, 3.10 pounds
Second place – Tristen Wertz, 2.21 pounds
Third place – Tristan Whitt,1.55 pounds

Ages 8-11

First place – Kaden Elliot, 2.47 pounds
Second place – Caden Timmons, 1.31 pounds
Third place – Wesley Whitt, 0.63 pounds

Ages 12-15

First place – Cameron Garufi, 2.13 pounds
Second place – Jack Wertz, 2.10 pounds
Third place – Jerry Kemp, 1.69 pounds

New Castle County winners

At Lums Pond in New Castle County, Brice Wise was the day’s overall winner with a total of 3.31 pounds of fish. The largest fish of the day was a 2.2-pound largemouth bass caught by Elena Pihouee, and the smallest fish, a tiny 4-gram pumpkinseed, was caught by McKenzie VanSant. 

Ages 4-7

First place – Lillian Welch, 2.66 pounds
Second place – Caroline Jordan, 0.88 pounds
Third place – Jayson Troy, 0.80 pounds

Ages 8-11

First place – Michael Hopkins, 2.94 pounds
Second place – Elena Pihouee, 2.65 pounds
Third place – LaRelle Williams Jr., 1.61 pounds

Ages 12-15

First place – Aiden Kulac, 3.05 pounds
Second place – Alyssa Danz, 2.46 pounds
Third place – Tyler Harvell, 2.25 pounds

Kent County winners

Thomas Sweeney-Jones was the overall winner at Akridge Scout Reservation, with 2.98 pounds of fish. The largest fish of the day was a 1.7-pound largemouth bass caught by Beau Lindale, and the smallest was an 11-gram bluegill caught by Jocelyn Spear.

Ages 4-7

First place – Beau Lindale, 2.84 pounds
Second place – Catalaya Andrews, 2.21 pounds
Third place – Greysen Figgs, 1.66 pounds

Ages 8-11

First place – Collin Meisinger, 1.83 pounds
Second place – Gabriel Velazquez, 0.87 pounds
Third place – Windsor Stone, 0.67 pounds

Ages 12-15

First place – Gianna Velazquez, 2.28 pounds
Second place – Dalton White, 1.79 pounds
Third place – John “JC” Kubovcik, 1.41 pounds.