Denton wins children's fishing derby; Hanna second

Fallbrook's Dacy Denton won first place in the Oceanside Harbor Days children's fishing derby Sept. 26.

Places in the derby for children 13 and under are determined by the weight of the largest fish caught rather than by the number of fish caught. All of the fish caught Sept. 26 were kelp bass.

Dacy, who turned 11 on Nov. 5, had a six-ounce catch. Dacy and Ashton Hanna, whose five-ounce fish gave him second place, are both in fifth grade at Bonsall Elementary School. Dacy's sister, Dara, caught a three-ounce kelp bass which tied the Sullivan Middle School seventh-grader for third place, although a random draw gave the third-place plaque to Jesse Martinez.

Parents are allowed to accompany their children and to provide advice, although the children themselves must reel and catch the fish. Scott and Debi Denton accompanied their daughters to the fishing derby. The contestants were supplied with sardines to use as bait.

Dacy caught her six-ounce kelp bass within the first 20 minutes after the fishing derby began at 9 a.m. She also caught a two-ounce fish approximately two hours into the fishing derby, which ended at noon, and her sister caught her two-ounce fish at approximately the same time.

Dacy received a plaque, a new fishing pole, and a gift certificate to the 101 Cafe in Oceanside.

The children's fishing derby was the seventh for the Denton sisters. Dara won the 2009 fishing derby by catching a 22-ounce shark while Dacy placed second with a catch of a 16-ounce stingray. Neither sister caught a fish in 2010. In 2011, Dacy placed third and Dara was fourth. Dara placed fifth in 2012, when Dacy did not catch a fish but hooked a pelican which went after her bait. Dacy caught an eight-ounce spotfin to win the 2013 fishing derby while Dara was fifth. Last year Dacy won first place by catching a seven-ounce mackerel and Dara placed second for a five-ounce mackerel.