Johnston Fishing Derby reels them in

It didn’t matter if they reeled in a rainbow trout weighing nearly two pounds or a colorful perch that tipped the scales at just three ounces, the dozens of kids who turned out for Saturday’s Youth Fishing Derby had nothing less than good, old-fashioned family fun.

They did so, in many cases, armed with seemingly unmatched enthusiasm and extraordinary encouragement from moms, dads – and even grandparents – who formed a human circle around the perimeter of the popular pond inside Johnston War Memorial Park.

Officially, it was yet another success story courtesy of the presenting and coordinating Johnston Parks and Recreation Department, complete with special sponsorships by Citizens Bank and Save the Lakes, a non-profit of individuals and associations dedicated to improving, protecting and preserving fresh water bodies of Rhode Island for future generations.

Much of Saturday’s success, thought, belonged exclusively to the Ocean State Bassmasters, yet another non-profit whose members showed up to weigh and measure each fish the thrilled children brought to the fieldstone gazebo to see if they qualified for the biggest or heaviest catch.

From start to finish, Bassmasters Jack Martone, Bob Bizzacco, Dan Pratt, Matt Valvo and Eddie Hebert pumped lots of humor and some witty words into the weighting and measuring of each fish kids like Alex Allred caught.

“I’m not sure who is having more fun,” one father, who accompanied his son to the weigh station, offered. “These [Bassmasters] guys are making this extra special.”

And, as some parents remembered from accompanying their children in years past, it wasn’t the first appearance the Bassmasters made to Johnston for the Youth Fishing Derby.

“We love doing this for the kids,” said Martone. “Our fun is watching the children’s eyes when we weigh their fish and announce its weight and length.”

Throughout Saturday’s Derby, Allred’s name was mentioned many times, as he caught a total of 12 fish, the heaviest being a one-pound, seven-ounce rainbow trout that measured 13.5 inches long.

Ronnie Williams, 8, topped that total length with his one-pound, 11-ounce rainbow that measured 15 inches long.

The most fish, though, were reeled in by David Hanson with Ava Bertrand catching the heaviest fish and Nolan Pietros bringing in the heaviest fish. Honors for the smallest fish went to Scottie Senerchia, Breonna Carleton took home an award for her multiple catches and the most colorful fish award went to Kylie Doherty.

AWESOME ANGLER:

Alex Allred shows off his one-pound, seven-inch rainbow trout that measured 13.5 inches long during Saturday’s Youth Fishing Derby in Johnston.DERBY 2 IMG 7453

CLASSIC CATCH:

Ronnie Williams, 8, stands alongside his father Ron Williams and holds up his 15 inches long rainbow trout he caught Saturday in Johnston.

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SUPER SMILE:

This scene was commonplace Saturday inside Johnston War Memorial Park where young girls and boys reeled in everything from small perch to rainbow trout during the annual Youth Fishing Derby.

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MY MEME:

It didn’t matter that she didn’t catch a fish, Lyric Davia had all kinds of fun during her first-ever fishing experience she enjoyed with her grandmother Saturday morning in Johnston.

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QUALITY QUINTET:

These members of the Ocean State Bassmasters helped make Saturday’s Youth Fishing Derby special. They weighed and measured each fish and added a little humor, too. The group includes (from left) Jack Martone, Bob Bizzacco, Dan Pratt, Matt Valvo and Eddie Hebert.