Shouts of joy were louder than the ferry whistle at the Oak Bluffs Steamship dock Sunday morning for the annual Kid’s Derby, the most delightful part of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. While prizes of rods and reels, plaques and t-shirts, as well as free cones of Mad Martha’s Ice Cream were on the line, the ultimate catch needed to have scales and fins.
If you weren’t at the Oak Bluffs pier, you missed a dose of fun, laughter, and screams, both squeamish ones and happy ones that could fuel your soul for the rest of the month. Few things are as fun as watching, and hearing, the excitement of children as they feel the tug on a line, battle to reel in a keeper, or see their fish surface from the water.
President John Custer welcomed hundreds of children and parents before the young anglers ran up and around the dock to find their perfect fishing spots. The sun was still rising when Daisy Neadow caught the first fish, a tiny black sea bass.
Rods continued to bend and kids continued to reel. Many giggles could be heard, and then there would be the telltale cheer letting us all know a big fish was headed to the weigh-in tables. Dozens upon dozens of fish were put down on the rulers to be measured. Species varied from black sea bass to fluke to scup, to one puffed up puffer fish, which drew the most “awwwws;” one striped bass definitely earned the loudest gasps.
When Lela Gilkes had tabulated all the results, Cooper Gilkes rounded up the children. Derby Chairman Joe El-Deiry thanked everyone for getting up before the sun, and he announced that every child would receive a commemorative t-shirt and a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream.
Expectant faces crowded the awards table as Derby Committee Member Cosmo Creagna held the secret index cards. The youngest competitors, aged 2 to 6, were announced first. Niki Heath, 5, and Hazel Tuper, 6, eagerly accepted their rods and plaques for third and second place, respectively. Unfortunately, winner Avery Kahl had to leave before the ceremony.
Avery was one of the cutest kids at the competition, and I’m not talking about her adorable smile. Avery may have caught a 17.5-inch black sea bass for the win, but the 5-year-old wanted nothing to do with the fish once it was out of the water. Her big brother Caleb carried the fish and helped his sister every step of the way.
“She won’t touch it,” said Caleb, as he showed me her beautiful sea bass. Avery just giggled and kept a good foot of distance between herself and the fish in her brother’s hands.
Felicity Sprague, 10, took home first place in the hotly contested ages 8 to 10 division. Felicity weighed in a 16.5-inch black sea bass barely beating out Luke Stobie, 9, and his 16.25-inch black sea bass, and Thea Desosa, 8, and her 16-inch black sea bass.
“I caught five fish. It’s pretty cool,” said Felicity, who attends the West Tisbury School.
“I could tell it was pretty big, but I didn’t think I would get a place. I’ve never placed before, so it’s new and exciting,” said Felicity of her fourth Kid’s Derby competition.
Felicity fishes with her dad David Sprague and her brother. They are all entered in the Derby, and Felicity is “looking forward to catching a fish.”
Emery Fullin was beyond happy she won the ages 11 to 14 division with her 17-inch black sea bass. “This is probably my sixth or seventh year, and it’s also my last. I’ve never won before so it’s amazing to go out with a bang,” said Emery.
“I caught five fish today, but I only weighed in one. The rest were pretty small,” said Emery, who is a freshman at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School.
Emery fishes with her dad, Keith Fullin. She’s entered in her third Derby and is hoping to catch a weighable and earn her First Fish pin. “My dad is a great fisherman. We went out a couple of times this week. It’s fun to go out with my dad and my sisters.”
With one award to go, all eyes were on McCabe Neadow. Anyone who had seen McCabe carry his 25.75-inch striped bass to the weigh-in table knew who the grand leader was. McCabe, 9, couldn’t stop smiling as the crowd clapped and cheered for his victory.
“I knew there would be stripers over there (toward the office) because I had seen them over there before with my dad,” said McCabe, who was using squid that dad Tom had caught last night.
“My line snapped twice, then I got lucky,” said McCabe, who is also entered in his fifth Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby.
I asked McCabe what his strategy was. “Whenever my line goes under the dock, I catch fish. It went under. Bam! I started reeling in. It was like concrete. It was crazy excitement everywhere. That’s how I did it,” he said with the confidence of a seasoned fisherman.
McCabe is still hoping to earn his First Fish Pin in the big Derby. “This year he’s weighing in an albie,” said Dad, Tom Neadow. “With my new rod,” added McCabe.
Results from Kids Derby
Grand Leader
McCabe Neadow, age 9, 25.75-inch Striped Bass
Ages 2 – 6
- Avery Kahl, age 5, 17.5-inch Black Sea Bass
- Hazel Tuper, age 6, 16-inch Black Sea Bass
- Niki Heath, age 5, 16-inch Black Sea Bass
Ages 7 – 10
- Felicity Sprague, age 10, 16.5-inch Black Sea Bass
- Luke Stobie, age 9, 16.25-inch Black Sea Bass
- Thea Desosa, age 8, 16-inch Black Sea Bass
Ages 11 – 14
- Emery Fullin, age 14, 17-inch Black Sea Bass
- Henry Jackson, age 12, 16.75-inch Black Sea Bass
- Calvin Davis, age 13, 16.25-inch Scup
