HANSON — Nearly 100 participants registered for the all- ages Fishing Derby held at Cranberry Cove in Hanson on Sunday.
In collaboration with The Rockland-Hanson Rotary Club local family Anthony Grasso and wife Lindsay owners of Anthony Grasso Electric sponsored the event. The couple assisted in handing out trophies and decorated medals for winners in categories that included: most fish caught during the event, which was achieved by Joey Hayden, 10, of Hanson and John DeLaney, 14, of Whitman and Noah Studley also of Whitman all the way through to the tiniest catch of the day given to Mason Weckbacher, 5, of and Sophia Maroney, 8, both of Whitman.
The well-attended event drew families as far away as Quincy and was held in ideal weather and two brand new fishing poles went to top winners.
The age groups began from the littlest anglers in pre-K through teens with fishing poles, nets and bait in hand, and lots of sunscreen. The edge of the Cove was decorated with hats, and casting rods from the beach to the shoreline just below the path to Needles Lodge.
Ryan Maroney, 13, of Whitman reeled in a catch just under eight inches and as it was being measured the fish performed a back flip evoking laughter from volunteers Wendy Brown and husband Josh Hockenberry of Hanson. The pair was in charge of jotting the length and then assisting in freeing the fish back to the pond as on lookers reacted to the “good size” of each scaly creature.
Goodbyes were not difficult as brother and sister Ruby, 2, and Sydney Hockenberry, 4, of Hanson got close enough to react to the fish with a shiver quickly deciding they did not want to touch their squirmy sunfish. The event drew all ages including grandparents who waded in the water to help catch and cast — or untangle — the occasional fishing lines. Kim Anderson and Helen Mastico of the Rockland -Hanson Rotary Club attended the event during the prize presentation.