Four-year-old Branden Looney of Sweet Home landed the biggest fish of the day during the Foster Lake Fishing Derby Saturday morning, June 10.
Branden was one of 244 youngsters who turned out for the annual event. The bite was a little slow during the morning, according to K.C. Briggs of the U.S. Forest Service, one of the agencies that put on the event. She said families who stuck around after the derby, which ended at noon, started catching more fish around 2 p.m.
Winners in each age group were:
3 and under – Jaden Kemper, age 2 1/2, who caught the first and the biggest in his age group at .2 kilograms.
4-5 year olds – Branden Looney caught the first and the biggest in the age group at 1.28 kilogram
6-7 year olds — There were no winners in this age group.
8-9 year olds – Lexi Vore caught the first fish in the age group while Zachary Kemper caught the biggest fish, weighing in at .31 kg.
10-12 year olds – Danielle Lynchard caught the first and the biggest in the age group at .32 kilograms.
13-18 year olds – Steven Jones caught the first fish in this age class as well as the first fish for the Derby. Travis Beavers caught the biggest fish in this age class weighing in at .30 kg
This year’s partners included the Albany Chapter of the Northwest Steelheaders, USDA Forest Service Sweet Home Ranger District, Sweet Home Boys and Girls Club, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Additional contributions were made by the Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife
Division, Linn County Sheriff’s office, city of Sweet Home, private volunteers and Linn County.
This year’s prize sponsorships came from a grant from the The G.I. Joe’s Foundation, and donations from
Sportsman’s Warehouse, The Future Fisherman’s Foundation, and Hooked On Fishing International.