The biggest smiles, most joyful giggles, and enthusiastic shrieks abounded throughout the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby’s annual Kid’s Day on Sunday morning. The thirty-five days of the Derby are the best days in a year, and the Sunday of the Kid’s Derby is the best of the best.
Why? How are kids catching scup more fun than catching a weighable blue?
Simple: The kids are beyond cute; their enthusiasm is contagious, and as adults, we just don’t giggle often enough, or at all, when a fish is wiggling around as we try to measure it. I lost count of how many children carried a fish to the weigh-in tables and announced, “This is the first fish I’ve ever caught.”
If someone could figure out how to bottle the happiness at the Kid’s Derby, we’d all be blissful, and that individual would be a gazillion-aire.
Until then, we can thank organizers Cooper and Lela Gilkes and the Derby for a fun-filled morning.
The preparations began in full force the night before when Coop and Lela divided and conquered the tasks. Coop went out to catch bait for the kids: this year, a cooler full of fresh silversides as well as some crabs and baggies of cut up squid. Lela prepared the clipboards, packed the supply bags, coordinated the awards and tally sheets, and double-checked the check list.
On Sunday morning, families began lining up at the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority building a little after 5 am while Coop, Lela, and a group of volunteers set up tables for the makeshift weigh station. At 6 am, Coop and Mike Cassidy, Derby committee member, led the children and their families down the dock ramp to line up before Derby President John Custer. With words of encouragement and a few important rules, Mr. Custer, known as the Tisbury School principal to many of the children, sounded the bell to start the event.
Little feet scurried across the Steamship dock looking, and hoping, for the best spot to drop a line and jig for the biggest fish. Those of us at the weigh-in tables watched and waited and enjoyed a spectacular sunrise.
Not quite ten minutes into the competition, smiling faces were carrying scups and black sea bass toward us. Ron McKee and Paula Sullivan measured the first scup of the day for the 6-and-under division. Caleb Kolb caught the first fish in the 10 to 14 age group and proudly handed it off to Cooper Fersen and Molly Reed to be entered. Aron Cascone and I had a blast measuring all the fish for the age 7 to 9 division.
We saw lots of scup and sea bass, quite a few flukes, a couple of pufferfish, one seabass with a full eel in its mouth, and a teeny, tiny baby shark, which immediately prompted me to sing “Baby Shark.”
For two hours, children, or parents, baited hooks, dropped lines over the railing at the Steamship dock, and jigged until their line tugged. More than 200 fish were caught, and most were released, though a few scup and sea bass went home to be enjoyed again later for dinner.
At 8 am, Coop beeped the horn on his truck repeatedly to signal the end of Kid’s Day. The awesome swag was handed out, while Lela Gilkes tabulated the winners. Every child went home with a Kid’s Derby T-shirt, a Mad Martha’s gift card for a free scoop of ice cream, and a goody bag of fish gummies from Enchanted Chocolates.
Cosmo Creanga, Derby committee member, sounded the bull horn and gathered everyone for the awards ceremony. Leo Herman, age 6, was called to the stage for his third place 17-inch black sea bass. Quinn DeBettencourt, the youngest winner, earned second place for her 17-inch black sea bass, weighed in before Leo’s fish. Miles Anderson, 6, smiling even broader, caught first place with his 17.25-inch black sea bass.
All the winners received a new rod, a tackle box, and a plaque. In the age 7 to 9 division, Rory Goeckel, 8, finished third with a 16-inch black sea bass. Finn McDonald and Felix Hall both caught a 17.25-inch black sea bass. Felix weighed his fish in first, so Finn, 7, took home second place to Felix’s first.
Finn had weighed in multiple fish; Felix had only weighed in the winner. “One. I caught one fish,” said Felix, who was carrying on a family tradition. Felix’s dad, Louis Hall, won the Kid’s Derby years ago, and his older brother Finnegan has also won the Kid’s Derby.
“It’s exciting,” said Felix, a third grader at Tisbury school who also plays lacrosse and soccer.
I asked Felix what he wants to do next, and he grinned and said, “Catch a striper. I spent the whole time here trying to catch one of the five stripers under the pier.”
Colby Vought won the hotly contested age 10 to 14 division over Tristan Rubiton, 10, with a 16.75-inch black sea bass and Ana Julia Garfela, 10, and her 16.5-inch black sea bass.
“This is the first time my family has ever placed in this Derby,” said Colby triumphantly.
Colby, 12, a Tisbury School seventh grader, caught two scup and the winning black sea bass.
“The scup was moving a lot more, jiggling around. The sea bass felt bigger,” said Colby, who when he saw the sea bass rise out of the water let out a loud, “Yes!”
“I thought it might be 15 (inches), then it ended up 17 (inches), and I was really excited,” said Colby. “Me and my dad will freeze it and maybe eat it for dinner on Wednesday night.”
We all waited as Cosmo prepared to announce the overall winner. “Isabella DeFoe with an 18-inch black sea bass.”
The crowd parted for an adorable little 5-year-old girl to walk about to the stage. The cuteness-meter maxed out when Isabella smiled at Cosmo and tried to juggle holding all her awards.
Isabella is in kindergarten at Vineyard Montessori. She told me quite confidently, “This is my first Kid’s Derby. This is the third time I’ve gone fishing, and I haven’t really learned yet.”
She went on to describe how she caught two big fish at the same time on her Hi-Lo rig. “I had two on at once!” Isabella said enthusiastically. “And my rod almost broke.”
Fortunately, her rod held, and she reeled in the winning 18-inch fish and a 15.5-inch. Two shore keepers perfect for supper.
Dad Dan DeFoe said they were going to eat the fish later for dinner. Isabella shook her head and said, “Dad, remember, I’m going to have pizza.”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Kids are the absolute cutest!
As we packed up, I asked Coop what he thought of the morning. “It was awesome,” he said. “We started with a great sunrise and the kids saw it, then the fish showed up and started biting. Everyone had a great time.”
Now, it’s early Monday morning. It’s dark and gray, and I’m heading out to fish in the wind and rain. I’m going to channel the joy and enthusiasm of the children to keep the smile on my face while the ocean waves spray me with a chilly mist.
The weather is looking gnarly this week. Stay safe everyone!
I hope to see you on the beach and at Derby Headquarters for a weigh-in.
Grand Overall Winner – largest fish:
Isabella DeFoe, age 5, 18-inch black sea bass
6-and-under:
1. Miles Anderson, age 6, 17.25-inch black sea bass
2. Quinn DeBettencourt, age 4, 17-inch black sea bass
3. Leo Herman, age 6, 17-inch black sea bass
7 to 9:
1. Felix Hall, age 8, 17.25 black sea bass
2. Finn McDonald, age 7, 17.25 black sea bass
3. Rory Goeckel, age 8, 16-inch black sea bass
10 to 14:
1. Colby Vought, age 12, 17-inch black sea bass
2. Tristan Rubiton, age 10, 16.75-inch black sea bass
3. Anna Julia Garfela, age 10 16.5-inch black sea bass
