Dacy Denton wins Oceanside Harbor Days fishing derby

Dacy Denton took first place in the Oceanside Harbor Days children’s fishing derby September 28.

The eight-year-old Fallbrook resident, who is in third grade at Bonsall Elementary School, caught an eight-ounce spotfin which was the largest catch of the day.

Places in the derby for children 13 and under are determined by the weight of the largest fish caught rather than the number of fish caught. Parents are allowed to accompany their children and to provide advice, although the children themselves must reel and catch the fish.

Denton’s father, Scott, learned about the date of the fishing derby the previous day. Dacy Denton was supposed to have a riding lesson the day of the fishing derby, so initially Scott Denton and his ten-year-old daughter, Dara, arrived at the fishing derby in time for the 8:30 a.m. start. Dacy Denton made the decision that morning to cancel the riding lesson and arrived at the fishing derby about 10:30 along with her mother, Debi.

Ten-year-old Lillie Flaherty of Oceanside had the second-place catch with a three-ounce rock fish; Flaherty caught that fish shortly after the 8:30 start. Dacy Denton caught her fish about 11:00 a.m. The fishing derby ended at noon, and the spotfin was the only fish Denton caught.

Lamar Patterson, an Oceanside 13-year-old, placed third with Oceanside’s David Garcia taking fourth place. Dara Denton, a fifth-grader at Bonsall Elementary School, was given fifth place; although she didn’t reel in any fish she was given a higher position among those without a catch for hooking one which escaped by breaking Denton’s line.

Dacy Denton received a plaque, a fishing rod, a $10 coupon to the 101 Cafe in Oceanside, and a coupon for an oil change and tire rotation she gave to her father.

The children’s fishing derby was the fifth for the Denton sisters. Last year Dacy Denton did not catch a fish, although she hooked a pelican which went after her bait. Dara Denton placed fifth in last year’s children’s fishing derby. In 2011 Dara Denton placed third while the larger of the two lizard fish Dacy Denton’s caught weighed two ounces and placed her fourth. Neither sister caught a fish in 2010. Dara Denton won the 2009 fishing derby by catching a 22-ounce shark while Dacy Denton placed second with a 16-ounce stingray.