Smyrna Angler Repeats as State Champion, Winning 39th Annual Youth Fishing Tournament

Two-time Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament Champion Kohen Marvel of Smyrna accepts congratulations and the winner’s trophy for the 2025 tournament from Delaware Natural Resources Police Sgt. Shane Sapp, left, and Sr. Cpl. Thomas Passwaters of the DNRP Fish and Wildlife Unit /DNREC photo

 

Age Group and County Winners Also Announced by DNREC for Delaware Natural Resources Police-Sponsored Youth Conservation Event

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced winners and the overall state champion today after more than 150 young anglers braved the rain Saturday, June 7 to cast their lines in the 39^th Annual Delaware Youth Fishing Tournament, hosted and sponsored by the Delaware Natural Resources Police (DNRP).

The tournament – established by DNRP in 1986 to introduce young people to the sport of fishing and to teach the catch-and-release approach to conservation – was held at Blockhouse Pond in Sussex County, Akridge Scout Reservation in Kent County, and Lums Pond in New Castle County.

DNRP weighmasters at each tournament site recorded catches for participants ages 4 through 15 as they competed for county and state championships and for age group titles. After the catches were tallied, last year’s tournament winner, Kohen Marvel of Smyrna, age 9, became a repeat state champion after hauling in 9.53 pounds of fish at the Akridge Scout Reservation.

New Castle County Winners
At Lums Pond in New Castle County, 7-year-old Caleb Polite was the day’s overall winner with a total of 3.3 pounds of fish. In fact, the largest fish of the day was the 3.3-pound largemouth bass caught by Caleb, while the smallest fish, a tiny 6-gram (or .211 ounce) bluegill, was caught by Mikey Hopkins.

•  Ages 4 through 7
  First place – Miles Hopkins, 1.54 pounds
  Second place – Nora Clifton, 1.53 pounds
  Third place – Gavin Gonzalez, 1.46 pounds
• Ages 8 through 11
  First place – Nathan Johnson, 3.09 pounds
  Second place – Mikey Hopkins, 2.42 pounds
  Third place – Cooper Perny, 2.41 pounds
• Ages 12 through 15
  First place – Brooks Wilke, 2.56 pounds
  Second place – Landon Gonzalez, 2.37 pounds
  Third place – Tyler Harvell, 1.88 pounds

Kent County Winners
Kohen Marvel was the overall winner at Akridge Scout Reservation outside Dover, his catch totaling 9.53 pounds of fish, which also made him overall youth tournament champion for the second year in a row. The largest fish of the day, however, was a 2.3-pound largemouth bass caught by Lucas Seeley, while the smallest was a 124-gram largemouth bass, caught by Devyn Thompson.

• Ages 4 through 7
  First place – Beau Lindale, 7.85 pounds
  Second place – Michael Luft, 1.77 pounds
• Ages 8 through 11
  First place – Matthew DeCarlo, 6.30 pounds
  Second place – Lucas Seeley, 5.42 pounds
  Third place – Stephen Bayer, 3.44 pounds
• Ages 12 through 15
  First place – Alex Kulhanek, 5.37 pounds
  Second place – Jacob Willey, 4.69 pounds
  Third place – Devyn Thompson, 3.94 pounds

Sussex County Winners
The Sussex County winner was 8-year-old Webb Ciavarra, with 4.15 pounds of fish caught in Blockhouse Pond. The largest fish of the day was a 1.6-pound largemouth bass caught by Webb Ciavarra, while Jissac Heath caught the smallest fish, a bluegill weighing just 16 grams.

• Ages 4 through 7
  First place – Manny Ortiz, 1.46 pounds
  Second place – Abigail Norris, 0.59 pounds
  Third place – Jaxon Bittell,0.51 pounds
• Ages 8 through 11
  First place – Webb Ciavarra, 4.15 pounds
  Second place – Jissac Heath, 1.44 pounds
  Third place – Waylon Jenny, 1.15 pounds
• Ages 12 through 15
  First place – Austin Rowlands, 1.72 pounds
  Second place – Bennett Curry, 1.15 pounds
  Third place – Wyatt Fischer, 0.68 pounds

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov 

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