Winners in the 9-13 age group were (from left) Zelesteno Moreno, 10, raffle; Lucas Owens, 11, Most Fish Caught-Second; Tiyon Chatman, 12, Biggest Fish-First; Graham Herron, 10, Most Fish Caught- First; Serenity Barton, 12, raffle; and Chloe Saxon, 9, Biggest Fish-Second.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Winners in the 4-8 age group were (from left) Alice Ribeiro, 7, Biggest Fish-Second; Brooklyn Blanchard, 7, Most Fish-First; Kinleigh Dumes, 4, Biggest First-First; Arthur and Theodore Hersberger (and brother Woody, not pictured)-Most Fish Caught (each caught four; Theodore was also a raffle winner); and Colt Hodges, 6, raffle.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Jason Bridegroom stands with Jasleen Oliver, 6, and Riley Watson, 5, and the fish they caught, 14 inches and 19 inches, respectively.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Josh Alford hold up a catfish Hailey Jackson, 4, caught so she can get a good look at it during the Pendleton Lions Club Fishing Derby on Sunday.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Bobby Ravensberg, Ryan Miknaitis, both of Indianapolis, and David Sass of Pendleton, sign up for the raffle in the 9-13 age group during the Pendleton Lions Club Fishing Derby on Sunday.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Jace Townsend, 10, of Anderson, gets his line ready for the derby while sister Vivian, 8, looks on and Dad, Adam waits at the edge of the pond.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Kamerson Vanslyke, 9, of Pendleton, takes one of many casts he made during the Pendleton Lions Club Fishing Derby on Sunday.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Billy Smith tries to get a hook out of a fish he caught with help from his cousin Jazmyn Haynes.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Caleb Nault of Fishers unwraps line from the end of his rod as he prepares to cast it into the pond during the Pendleton Lions Club Fishing Derby on Sunday.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Serenity Barton raises her arm in excitement as Papaw Kent Edgell helps take her fish off the line.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
It rained during the 4-8 age group fishing derby session from 1-2 p.m. on Sunday. It cleared up for the 9-13 age group, which fished from 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Billy Smith reacts to the size of the fish he pulled in, as his catch is being led away to be measured during the 9-13 age fishing derby session.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
People line the banks of the lighthouse pond in Falls Park during the Pendleton Lions Club Fishing Derby on Sunday.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
Zoey Ribeiro, 9, takes a drink while waiting for a bite during the Pendleton Lions Club Fishing Derby on Sunday.
Scott Slade | The Times-Post
PENDLETON — The Pendleton Lions Club Fishing Derby offered its two groups of participants very different experiences.
The first session for children ages 4-8 took place from 1-2 p.m. on Sunday in Falls Park during mostly steady rains, while the second session for ages 9-13 took place from 2:30-3:30, with nary a drop falling.
Another difference — one some might say a corresponding one — is the fish were striking much more often under the more trying conditions of the first session.
“That’s why its called fishing and not catching,” Lions Club Member Gary Davidson said to the second group as he prepared to hand out trophies.
Still, those who came out to the event — which had 137 child signups — said it was a great time, regardless of the session they were in.
Josh Alford of Pendleton was there with girlfriend Anne Hunt and her children Evan, 7, and Hailey Jackson, 4.
“Makes me happy,” he said as he helped the children maintain their lines in the water along the railing of the pond, using chicken liver soaked in strawberry Jell-O as bait.
“It’s good fishing in the rain — it’s never a bad time to fish,” said Todd Hoffman of Markleville, who was there with his wife and daughter, along with three grandchildren.
Adam Townsend of Anderson was at the derby with “three fishermen and my wife,” he said; the three competitors were his sons Jace, 10, and Kash, 5, and daughter Vivian, 8.
He said he likes that the event is geared toward children and that it offers prizes, which adds excitement compared to the neighborhood pond, where they normally drop their lines.
“That’s a nice part,” he said.
“It’s pretty cool,” Ryan Ribeiro of Noblesville said of the event while sitting next to daughter Zoey, 9, who was fishing. “The fact that it was super-stocked with catfish made it awesome for the kids — made them all excited.”
The Lions Club had 400 pounds of catfish delivered to the pond on Friday morning in preparation for the community event at no charge to participants.
The winners for the day were (4-8 age group) Kinleigh Dumes, 4, Biggest Fish, first; Alice Ribeiro, 7, Biggest Fish, second; Brooklyn Blanchard, 7, Most Fish, first; Arthur, 8, Theodore, 6, and Woody Hersberger, Most Fish, second; Theodore Hersberger, raffle and Colt Hodges, raffle; (9-13 age group) Tiyon Chatman, 12, Biggest Fish, first; Chloe Saxon, 9, Biggest Fish, second; Graham Herron, 10, Most Fish Caught, first; Lucas Owens, 11, Most Fish Caught, second; Zelesteno Moreno, 10, raffle; and Serenity Barton, 12, raffle.