Bright sunshine and steamy temperatures greeted 259 young anglers and their families who gathered at three Delaware ponds for the 24th Annual Youth Fishing Tournament on June 12. All of the fish caught in the tournament were weighed and released.
Nine-year-old Ben Newlin of Milford came out as overall statewide winner, as well as the Kent County winner, with fish weighing in at a total of 4.27 pounds.
At Kent County’s Wyoming Pond, 72 youngsters turned out.
In addition to Ben, the other Kent County winners, by age group and total weight of fish caught, were:
Ages 4 to 7: First place, Ethan Ramisch, 6, of Dover, 1.2 pounds; second place (tie), Dominic Garcia, 5, of Smyrna, 0.52 pounds, and Ethan Wong, 6, of Frederica, 0.52 pounds; third place, Hunter Gondeck, 7, of Dover, 0.47 pounds.
Ages 8 to 11: First place, Kevin Turner, 8, of Felton, 2.69 pounds; second place, Steven Swan, 10, of Dover, 1.19 pounds; third place, Hallie Walsh, 11, of Dover, 1.11 pounds.
Ages 12 to 15: First place, Ronald Degano, 13, of Magnolia, 1.81 pounds; second place, James Miller, 13, of Dover, 0.53 pounds; third place, Robert Hoover, 13, of Dover, 0.41 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 29, at the 2010 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, call 739-9913 or visit www.fw.delaware.gov/Info/YouthFishing.htm.
