Three-year-old Therin McDowall of Port Charlotte, daughter of charter fishing Capt. Jesse McDowall, showed the right stuff in landing her first angling championship Saturday at the Boca Grande Fishing Pier.
Little McDowall won the first Boca Grande Community Center Youth Fishing Tournament of the season by landing the biggest fish among 35 young anglers during a hot, sunny day with temps in the 90s eased by a cooling breeze.
"Her dad's a charter fishing captain so it comes naturally," said smiling mother, Stephanie McDowall, as they walked from the pier trophy in hand.
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Three-year-old Therin McDowall of Port Charlotte, daughter of charter fishing Capt. Jesse McDowall, won her first angling championship Saturday at the Boca Grande Fishing Pier.
Organizers in this catch-and-release tourney give anglers points after measuring the length and width of a fish. Length of catch is measured from the tip of nose to the fork or straight end of tail and width is measured from the dorsal fin on fish hide to the bottom of fish.
Organizers Joe Wier and D.J. Kiesling of Lee County Parks & Recreation handed out certificates to all participants in what they called the best-attended Boca Grande kids tourney in three years.
"The weather was beautiful, but fishing was slow," Wier said. "The kids hooked into a few mangrove snapper, grouper, flounder, grunts, a bunch of stingrays and one child caught a nice black drum."
Fact Box
To Go
What: Youth Fishing Tournament
When: 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 5
Where: Boca Grande Fishing Pier
Cost: free
Contact: Call Joe Wier at 964-2564.
Wier credited the Friends of Boca Grande Community Center, Charlotte County Community Service for use of the pier and Boca Grande Marina, which donated live shrimp and support, for making the tourney possible.
