Alexandra Musa is now known as a record-holder when it comes to fishing in Johnston.
The 10-year-old reeled in the first fish – a one-pound, two-ounce rainbow trout– from the pond inside Johnston War Memorial Park early Saturday morning and won honors for the Longest Fish during the Parks and Recreation Department’s Annual Youth Fishing Derby.
“It measures 15.5 inches,” Jack Martone, a noted musician and member of the Ocean State Bassmasters who served as the event’s official weigh-master throughout Saturday’s two-division derby. “Now that’s some catch for a little girl.”
Martone and his fellow Bassmasters – Jake Neves, Matt Valvo, Peter Di Paolo and Corey Di Paolo– echoed that statement almost as soon as Sofia Porreca, 9, reeled in a 15-inch rainbow trout that wound up being the heaviest fish in the category for kids ages 8 to 12 years old who cast their lines between 9 and 10:30 Saturday morning.
“Hey, these little girls must have a secret,” Martone said while weighing Porreca’s catch that tipped the hand-held scale at one pound, eight ounces. “Now that’s quite a mark for any youngster.”
There were a variety of trout reeled in Saturday in the park’s picturesque pond that was lined with families for the Johnston Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Rite of Spring.
In the category for kids ages 8 to 12, Porreca – as noted – won the Blue Ribbon for the heaviest fish while Derek Roberts, 8, and Isabella Jarest, 8, took second and third respectively. Roberts enjoyed the honor of being the first boy to catch at trout Saturday morning.
Two girls – Musa, 10, and Ava Mello, 10, took first and second place respectively for the longest fish at 15.5 and 14 inches respectively while Luke Donnelly, 9, was third with his rainbow trout that measured 13.5 inches.
Alex Alfred had the honor of winning the category for the Most Fish Caught (6) while the Pellegrino sisters – Giuliano, 8, and Giada, 10-had collected all of their fish together in one bucket and were counted as one team that caught five trout.
Once the older kids ages 8 to 12 collected their gear, the younger set featuring upstart anglers ages 4 to 7 took over and wound up with all kinds of trout and small fish that the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management stocked in the park’s pond last Friday.
Nicole Cournoyer, the JPRD’s Assistant Director, presented first, second and third place ribbons in each category and the number one angler in all categories was awarded a fishing pole and tackle box for the heaviest and longest fish and two packages of lures for the most trout reeled in.
The prizes were made possible by Citizens Bank, which again signed on as the main sponsor while Save the Lakes was again a supporting organization and represented by Marsha Czubak.
Nathan Bertrand, 5, took first place in the Heaviest Fish Division for kids ages 4-7 with a one-pound, 15-ounce trout and Ella Trementozzi, 7, was the runner-up with he catch of one-pound, 10 ounces. Breanna Carlton, 7, and Jackson Gray, 8, tied for third.
Cadence Senerchia, 7, won the category for the Longest Fish (11 inches) while second place went to Boston Wood, 4 with an 8-inch trout. There was a three-way tie for third place between Hunter School, 7; Lilianna Garofano, 4; and Isabella Garofano, 5.
Ava Bertrand, 4, came up with the most fish caught (5) while Jacob Racine, 4, took second via four trout. Scottie Senerchia, 5, and Brady Comen, 5, tied for third.
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