Kids fishing derby produces lots of smiles

By Mark Ribble

The annual Southwest Outdoors Club Kids Fishing Derby was held on Saturday, July 8 under cloudy skies and plenty of fish were caught along the pier at Wheatley Harbour.

The largest of the bunch was a 27-inch pike caught early in the day, with a large bowfin and several large carp and sheephead also landed Saturday morning. A 13” perch was also caught and plenty of gobies were caught and removed from circulation.

About 250 kids attended, along with their parents and fishing was brisk most of the morning until the rains came just before noon. Food and drinks were provided to all in attendance and each young fisherman took home a prize with the help of Canadian Tire Leamington and Tilbury Auto Mall.

Anyone who didn’t have a fishing rod was lent one and all of the kids had big smiles on their faces when all was said and done.

Trophies for the largest fish in various age groups were Beau Snyder, Josiah

Harms, Aiden Young and Ethan Derikx.

The bicycle draw was also held and the winners were Rebecca Knelson,

Reggie Lindsay, Felicity Friesen, Taj Patel, Hannah Wilson, Brailey Boyse and Estras Amaya.

Young Colt Janzen looks on with his dad Len as the Southwest Outdoors Club’s Don Wigle officially measures his four-inch gobie caught at Wheatley Harbour on Saturday morning. SWOC member Scott Makey was in charge of recording the big catch. SUN photos

Seven-year-old Josiah Harms holds his 14-and-one-eighth-inch Sheephead caught during the Southwest Outdoors Club’s annual Kids Fishing Derby at Wheatley Harbour on Saturday, July 8. Josiah took home the trophy for largest fish in his age group.

About 250 kids and another 250-or-so parents and grandparents filled the east side of Wheatley Harbour on Saturday, July 8 for the Southwest Outdoors Club’s annual Kids Fishing Derby. All went home with prizes and smiles on their faces.