Fish are friends, not food – second annual fishing derby kicks off opening of first public park

After two years in the making, Pacana Park’s structures may still have chalked-in lines where decorative tiles are to go. But that didn’t prevent Maricopa’s first community park from being the site for the city’s second annual Fishing Derby, an extremely successful event held on Sunday, September 24.

Some event attendees remained lakeside for an afternoon of leisurely fishing outside an unfinished structure at Pacana Park on Sunday.

With the park’s 2.5-acre lake stocked with over 500 pounds of catfish, children of all ages showed up with their families to line up along the shores at 8 a.m. for a catch-and-release tournament. Though all entrants were rewarded with a participation medal, there were special first, second and third place medals given out for the most fish caught in an hour’s time. Registered entrants were stocked with hats donated by Orbitel Communications and fishing poles from Fry’s Marketplace. Over 65 raffle prizes and gift certificates worth $2,000 were donated by both businesses, with a hot dog barbeque meal provided afterwards by Fry’s.

Fry’s Marketplace employees stock up containers with ice, sodas and water to cool off the young fishermen and ladies, and their families, after the derby.
Below: Lines gather by the Fry’s tent for free hot dogs, chips and cookies.

The concept behind the derby spawned from Maricopa City Councilmen Kelly Haddad and Stephen Baker last year, the first which took place at the community of Province; only six fish total were hooked among the 119 entrants that had dropped lines. This year, 170 kids were entered and almost 70 catfish were pulled out of the water.

“It actually made it a fishing derby and not just a casting contest,” Haddad joked. “We originally did it on the fourth of July last year and it was brutally hot. It was miserable. So, I’m glad that we’ve been able to push it back later in the year. The weather was a little warm, but it was nice. And another reason it was such a good event was because it was held in our own park.”

Maricopa City Manager Rick Buss helps families gear up for the hour-long tournament early Sunday morning.

“I spoke with Fry’s [Marketplace] in the beginning and then teamed up with Marty and Councilman Haddad – and between all three of us, I think we really started something great here,” Baker said. “And we owe a lot of the success to Marty McDonald [of the Parks and Recreation Department] helping us put it all together as well. I think just by the turnout alone, it showed how much of a success this is, and a great thing for our city as well.”

Young and old cast lines and wait for fish to bite.
170 children participated, and nearly 500 people came to the Derby.

In fact, the event had initially planned for only 150 kids when pre-registration was being held in July and August this year, not anticipating how popular the event was to be.

“The response was very incredible,” McDonald said. “And thanks to our sponsors, we were able to get 20 more kids into the fishing derby. We had close to 500 people – kids, parents, and grandparents – attend. Our department was built on the motto of creating community through people, parks and programs. Events like this are special and we’re just happy to help create memories that will be enjoyed for years to come.”

Some of the sponsors that made the Derby possible were: Fry’s Marketplace, Orbitel Communications, Maricopa Black Belt Academy and The Communicator. Councilmen Baker and Haddad were also major sponsors, which Baker says he was “thrilled to death” to do again this year. Between the two of them, they donated tackle boxes and participation medals for all those in the derby.

Parents and children try out the new park’s playground set by the concession building and surrounded by tennis and basketball courts, while waiting for the raffle prize winners to be called.
Below: Families enjoy their lunches underneath a canopy.

“The weather was perfect, Pacana Park is absolutely stunning and the fish were biting hard and fast,” Haddad noted. “You couldn’t draw up a better family-oriented event.”