Large turnout for fishing contest

This young angler is all smiles as he brings in his catch to be measured by wildlife officers Eric Anderson and Travis Buchanan at Saturday's Free Fishing Day Contest. MORE: Fishing Day photo gallery

While turnout for the annual Free Fishing Day Contest at Oneida City Park appeared to be down slightly from some years, there were plenty of young anglers on hand for Saturday’s event.

Participation in the annual contest was estimated at 150. The event, hosted by the Town of Oneida and co-sponsored by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, awards prizes for the biggest of several varieties of fish caught in different age categories. The contest was open for anglers ages three to 15.

In the three- to six-year-old age division, the largest bass was caught by Shytanna Lewallen, measuring 11.25 inches. Marcus Lawson caught the largest trout, also measuring 11.25 inches. Nathan Chapman caught the largest perch, measuring nine inches.

In the seven- to nine-year-old division, the largest bass was Dawson Winchester’s 11.25 inch fish, while Courtney Day caught the largest trout, measuring 10.75 inches. Tyler Green caught the largest perch, at 10.5 inches, and Elaina Jeffers caught the largest bluegill, measuring 9.25 inches.

In the 10- to 12-year-old division, Cody Laxton caught the largest trout, at 11.25 inches, while Taylor Slaven’s 10.5 inch bass was the largest in that category. Lucas West and Stephen Winningham each caught a 7.25 inch bluegill.

In the 13- to 15-year-old division, Joseph Harness caught a 12.5 inch trout that proved to be the largest in that category, while Zach Harness caught the largest bluegill, at 10.5 inches. Holden Byrd’s 10.5 inch largemouth was the largest in the bass category, while Myria Bozarth caught a 7.75 inch perch.