FORT SILL, Okla. -- Our 30th Annual Fort Sill Fishing Derby managed to go off as scheduled this past Saturday. Although not cool enough for jackets no one was complaining about the heat until late in the morning and since there wasn't much rain the night before the parking wasn't too bad. Although there were one or two folks that needed a friendly little nudge to get their vehicle out. At any rate a lot of folks came out to enjoy a family outing.
Some folks got a little wet when chasing catfish that slipped off the hook and fell in the water's edge. A parent or two got really wet trying to catch an escaping stringer of catfish that pulled away. It's part of what makes fishing fun!!!
For whatever reason the fish were not as cooperative as most years and the fishing was pretty slow. Almost everyone was getting bites and most even caught a fish or two which kept things interesting
By the 10:30 ending most kids and all adults were ready to check in fish and see who had won the prizes. There were also some drawings for additional fishing poles and the Lawton Bass Club also gave poles away for being really good at casting.
Since the rains caused us to move our Derby fish to Minor Ponds which is the location of many a Derby of the past it wasn't near as shady as the creek so some folks were pretty cooked by the finish. That made our educational exhibits by Lawton Bass Club, Lawton Masonic Lodge 83, and the J. A. Manning Fish Hatchery a big draw for kids when they got bored. If that wasn't to their interest then they could grab a hotdog and cold soda.
First on our list to thank this year is the Fort Sill Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation. They came through with some special support on equipment when other funding failed. Thanks to them we all were much better off while at the Derby.
Also a special thanks the Marine Detachment and 428th Field Artillery Brigade Special Duty Soldiers assigned to Fish & Wildlife for providing the necessary manpower to setup and make the event happen.
During the Fishing Derby we use a lot of volunteers for a variety of jobs and they came through with flying colors as they always do. If you were there you may have noticed many of them handing out sodas or measuring fish. Maybe you saw the judges that were helping keep order along the banks. They also help find the kids that show great sportsmanship and effort which are then awarded prizes. Other volunteers were taking photos or just adding words of encouragement for all the young anglers. We want to give, a special thanks to all of those great volunteers that helped put on this year's big event. Without their help the derby wouldn't be possible.
It wouldn't be near the big affair it is without our many sponsors that help with prizes, food, exhibits and additional manpower. This year we were sponsored by Fort Sill Thrift Shop, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (J.A. Manning Fish Hatchery), Lawton Fort Sill Bass Club, Lawton Masonic Lodge #83, Rick Sellers, Jojo Dabney (Pepsi) and the Military Order of Purple Heart Chapter 602. Individual sponsors included John Cook, Bill Kindt, Lou Reeder, Steven Webb, John and Glenda Clipp, Edward Burt, Frank Ulloa, Bruce Dwyer, Ed Garrison, Sam Young, Gerry Klabunde and Robert Wolf.
The next Fort Sill Hunters Safety Class will be June 18 at 9 a.m. at the Natural Resources classroom in Building 1465. The next class after that one is June 27 at 6 p.m. You must take this class before going out on the ranges for recreation purposes. At the class you will learn the required procedures for access to Fort Sill ranges. If you need further information call Sportsmen Services at 580-442-3553.
The winners:
Age Largest fish Smallest fish Heaviest stringer
3-5 years Jake Quires Trace Bontrager Addison Schertle
6-7 years Ka'nira Moore Dennis Palmer Devin Olinger
8-9 years Dashelle Munn Lawren Day Savannah Vanryswyk
10-11 years Ian Cruz Max Puccio Riley Anders
12-15 years Ester Bradshaw Matias Puccio Evan Wyley
Pond Judge Sportsman Awards: Nehemiah Landa and Anthony Nguyen
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