Gabriel Alfaro Reels in 10.1 Pounds of Fish to Win 40th Annual Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament

State Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament winner Gabriel Alfaro, center, proudly displays his trophy, joined by Natural Resources Police Fish and Wildlife Unit Seasonal Officer Case Dempsey and Officer Jenna McDermott /Delaware DNREC photo

The Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament, sponsored by Delaware Natural Resources Police, celebrated not only the winners, but the tournament’s 40^th year of introducing youth to fishing. Today, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced the tournament winners for the event held June 6 at Blockhouse Pond in Sussex County, Akridge Scout Reservation in Kent County, and Lums Pond in New Castle County, as well as this year’s overall champion.

Tournament weighmasters onsite at each pond weighed catches for participants ages 4 through 15 as they competed for each county’s top catch and age group titles. Gabriel Alfaro of Newark was declared this year’s overall tournament winner, by catching 10.1 pounds of fish this year at Lums Pond in New Castle County.

The Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament was established to introduce youth to the sport of fishing and to teach the catch-and-release approach to conservation.

New Castle County Winners
At Lums Pond in New Castle County, Gabriel Alfaro was the day’s overall winner with a total of 10.1 pounds of fish. The largest fish of the day was a 4.14-pound northern snakehead caught by Olivia Strong, and the smallest fish was a tie: a tiny 11-gram bluegill caught by Mackenzie VanSant and an equally small 11-gram white perch caught by Jackson Tully.

Ages 4 through 7:
First place – Olivia Strong, 4.14 lbs.
Second place – Maddilyn VanSant, 0.78 lbs.
Third place – Nathan Marques, 0.74 lbs.

Ages 8 through 11:
First place – Fiona Awesome, 3.83 lbs.
Second place – Harrison Sullivan, 2.87 lbs.
Third place – Jackson Tully, 2.87 lbs.

Ages 12 through 15:
First place – Carter Davis, 5.24 lbs.
Second place – Gabriel Vasquez, 2.89 lbs.
Third place – Landon Gonzalez, 1.38 lbs.

Kent County Winners
Kaylee Shockley was the overall winner at Akridge Scout Reservation, with 8.58 pounds of fish. The largest fish of the day was a 2.5-pound largemouth bass caught by Kaylee Shockley, and the smallest was a 3-gram Mummichog, caught by Cameron Finley.

Ages 8 through 11:
First place – Kohen Marvel, 2.97 lbs.
Second place – Arlo Dupuy, 2.53 lbs.
Third place – Connor Dupuy, 1.90 lbs.

Ages 12 through 15:
First place – Collin Messinger, 2.97 lbs.
Second place – John Kubovcik, 2.79 lbs.
Third place – Josiah Shockley, 2.24 lbs.

Sussex County Winners
The Sussex County winner was Jaxon Betal, with 9.22 pounds of fish caught at Blockhouse Pond. The largest fish of the day was a 9-pound Common Carp caught by Jaxon Betal. Kaden Elliott caught the smallest fish, which was a Bluegill weighing just 13 grams.

Ages 4 through 7:
First place – Scott Zenorini, 6.59 lbs.
Second place – Luke Coco, 4.56 lbs.
Third place – Walter Bernard, Jr., 3.63 lbs.

Ages 8 through 11:
First place – Webb Ciavarra, 3.69 lbs.
Second place – Christopher Payne, 3.50 lbs.
Third place – Ella Elliott, 2.09 lbs.

Ages 12 through 15:
First place – Kaden Elliott, 4.27 lbs.
Second place – John Timmons, 1.31 lbs.
Third place – Bentley Callahan, 0.43 lbs.,

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 75,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Delaware Natural Resources Police is a fully sworn police department with statewide authority to enforce criminal law, hunting, fishing, boating and environmental laws and regulations. DNRP ranks comprise three units: Fish and Wildlife, State Parks and Environmental Crime. They serve Delawareans on waterways and land, both public and private. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Alyssa Imprescia, alyssa.imprescia@delaware.gov

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