Blackwater NWR Holds 6th Annual Youth Fishing Derby
Blackwater NWR's 6th Annual Youth Fishing Derby was a great success again with 95 youths registering to fish at
Hog Range Pond. Each registered youth received a bag of free gifts including a ticket
for a free hot dog, chips, and soda, t-shirt, and a door prize ticket drawn every half hour. The young anglers
caught 218 fish and one snapping turtle from 9:00am-12:00pm. Winners from each age group included:
Biggest Catfish
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Under 5 Years Old |
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6-10 Years Old |
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11-15 Years Old |
| 1st |
Andrew Young |
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Joshua Mathews |
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Taylor Warfield |
| 2nd |
Cami Miller |
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Chase Harrison & Lauren Robinson |
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David Lambert |
| 3rd |
Casey Gray |
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Abby Young & Aiden O'Connor |
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Jordon Dorsey |
Biggest Sunfish
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Under 5 Years Old |
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6-10 Years Old |
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11-15 Years Old |
| 1st |
Jacob Smith |
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Trevor Goodwin |
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Jacob Mills |
| 2nd |
Alyssa Fox |
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Justin Miller & Chip Adams |
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Christopher Robinson |
| 3rd |
Norah Xenides |
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Jared Mills |
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Zachary Ellis |
Most Fish of the Day
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Under 5 Years Old |
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6-10 Years Old |
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11-15 Years Old |
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Molly Young |
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Samson Mathews |
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Elizabeth Johnson |
Most Unusual or Other Fish
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Under 5 Years Old |
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6-10 Years Old |
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11-15 Years Old |
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None |
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Caleb Ruark |
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Jacob Mills & Samson Mathews |
Photo of fishing derby winners
Photo of frog jumping competition winners
Several youngsters brought their frogs for Blackwater's 6th Annual Frog Jumping competition. The frog jumping contest had 7
frogs and toads entered in the competition. The amphibians battled it out in 3 elimination rounds. First place went to Abigail
Robinson from Wingate, second place to Lauren Robinson from Wingate, and third place to Caleb Ruark from Hoopers Island. Winners
from the last three years have been Robinson's from Wingate. There must be some good hopping frogs in Wingate!
A free t-shirt and bag of chips were provided by the Friends of Blackwater for each youth registered. A free soda was provided by
the Pepsi Cola Company. Superfresh provided the free hot dogs. All the bait and several prizes were donated by the Cambridge Wal-Mart.
Prizes were donated by Shore Sportsman, Bass Pro, West Marine, Gander Mountain, Dairy Queen/Fit and Fresh, and Rita's Water Ice. The
Coast Guard provided coloring book, stickers, and other information on boating safety. Don Willey from Chesapeake Model Boats set up a
great display and did some great knot tying demonstrations. The Power Squadron set up their sailboat regatta and bean bag toss for
kids to participate in when they needed a break from fishing. Jim Kubista and Don Reise from the Grand National Waterfowl Hunt
Association joined Blackwater staff and volunteers in assisting the young fisherman to bait, cast and take their fish off the hook.
Church Creek Fire Company was on hand to handle any heath issues. Another partner, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Fisheries, stocked the pond prior to the event and provided MD Fishing Regulations and fish measuring rulers.
Blackwater NWR wishes to thank all the people who assisted with our 6th Annual Youth Fishing Derby. The kids had a fun day, and so did everyone else!!
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