Sr. Corp. Shane Sapp congratulates Kent County and statewide overall champion Bristol Brown, who caught 6.87 pounds of fish at Akridge Scout Reservation to win the Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament./DNREC Photo

 

Tournament Marks 37th Year of Introducing Youth to Sport of Fishing

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control today announced the winners of the 37th annual Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament. Hosted by the Delaware Natural Resources Police, DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, the event was held Saturday, June 3, at three locations across the state, with more than 200 youth anglers casting their lines 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 through 15 as they competed for each county’s top catch and age group titles, as well as the title of overall state winner. The overall winner and Delaware Natural Resources Police Youth Fishing Tournament champion this year was Bristol Brown, age 10, of Lewes, who caught 6.87 pounds of fish at Akridge Scout Reservation, including the biggest fish caught of the day, a 5.6 pound largemouth bass.

This year’s overall statewide winner and county winners will be invited to a special trophy ceremony on Governor’s Day at the 2023 Delaware State Fair in Harrington.

New Castle County Winners

At Lums Pond in New Castle County, Michael Hopkins was the day’s overall winner with a total of 3.47 pounds of fish. Other New Castle County winners were:

Ages 4 through 7:
First place – Miles Hopkins, 2.77 pounds
Second place – Fiona Awesome, 2.25 pounds
Third place – Mason Healey, 2.03 pounds

Ages 8 through 11:
First place – Mackenzie Healey, 1.53 pounds
Second place – Griffith Jordan, 1.28 pounds
Third place – Alexis Talley, 0.94 pounds

Ages 12 through 15:
First place – Theodore Perez, 2.21 pounds
Second place – Tyler Harvell, 1.81 pounds
Third place – Aiden Talley 1.19, pounds

Kent County Winners

Other Kent County winners at Akridge Scout Reservation, by age group and total weight of fish caught, were:

Ages 4 through 7:
First place – Arianna Chaves Torres, 5.47 pounds
Second place – Beau Lindale, 3.72 pounds
Third place – Kohen Marvel, 2.78 pounds

Ages 8 through 11:
First place – Dominic Webb, 6.36 pounds
Second place – Carter Mast, 3.37 pounds
Third place – Collin Mesinger, 3.19 pounds

Ages 12 through 15:
First place – Evan Knutsen, 3.92 pounds
Second place – Brennan Ring, 3.43 pounds
Third place – Gianna Velazquez, 2.02 pounds

Sussex County Winners

At Ingram’s Pond in Sussex County, Brody Spencer was the day’s overall winner for the second year in a row with a total of 8.52 pounds of fish. Other Sussex County winners were:

Ages 4 through 7:
First place – Tristen Wertz, 1.89 pounds
Second place – Ella Elliott, 0.55 pounds
Third place – Piper Vannicola,0.30 pounds

Ages 8 through 11:
First place – John Timmons V, 2.96 pounds
Second place – Caden Timmons, 1.39 pounds
Third place – Gary Shepherd, 0.86 pounds

Ages 12 through 15:
First place – Owen Laux, 5.80 pounds
Second place – Alayna Adkins, 0.47 pounds
Third place – Landon Elliott, 0.08 pounds

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.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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