Anglers of all ages were at Ring’s Pond on June 24. The ones between ages 5 and 14 could compete in the Black Rock Bass Busters Fishing Derby.
Fishermen are usually silent. Jessica Major was different. As she cast her line into the water, she tried to convince the fish to take her bait.
“Here fishie, fishie, fishie,” she would call. Her voice carried across Ring’s Pond, and made other anglers chuckle.
Jessica was hoping for 10 catches on Saturday morning, June 25. She had to settle for seven. But that was still more than any other girl in the Black Rock Bass Busters Competition.
The annual event drew its largest turnout ever. There were 92 participants between the ages of 5 and 14. And there were several parents, who brought their own rod and reel, and tried their luck.
For finishing first in the 7-8 age group, Jessica won a new rod, tackle box and net. She also got a bicycle for being the top female fish-catcher in the competition.
Christopher Puglisi, who is even younger than Jessica, got the same prizes for leading the boys. As far as we know, Christopher didn’t speak to the fish. He just reeled them in.
The weather was ideal on Saturday morning. But the pond was blanketed with a thin film of green. Before the kids arrived, three volunteers went out in a rowboat and removed some of the vegetation.
The contest lasted from 9 a.m. until noon. Somehow the youngsters never lost concentration. One of them arrived in a kid-sized motorized buggy with four rods sticking up out of holders in the back.
At noon, an official walked out to the gazebo and blasted an air horn to signify the end of the contest. The kids got free hot dogs and soda, and then gathered around the scoring table to see who had won.
Actually, everyone won, because the Bass Busters gave out prizes just for participating. One person did better than the others, however. Dominic DeBertis got the Lunker Award for bringing in the largest fish (it was 13.5 inches long). He received so much camping equipment he could hardly carry it all.
The Black Rock Bass Busters, who are based in New Windsor, hold an annual Youth Day. Their slogans for the event are “Take a kid fishing” and “Give them a tackle box — not an X Box, because memories aren’t made playing video games.”
Ages 5-6: Christopher Puglisi (1), Evan Bayne (2), Samantha Santa Crose (3). 7-8: Jessica Major (1), Adam Horestein (2), Logan Schoeter (3). 9-10: Joe La Sauro (1), Matthew Pummer (2), Hannah Accilli (3). 11-12: Logan Serafin (1), Cian Morrow (2), Thomas Sullivan (3). 13-14: Emma Brondum (1), Dominic DeBertis (2), Dmitri Vailakas (3). Overall: Jessica Major and Christopher Puglisi. Lunker: Dominic DeBertis.