Anglers young and old had a day of casting and repasting at the Secaucus Duck Pond on Saturday. The 15th Annual Fishing Derby was sponsored by Mayor Dennis Elwell and the Town Council. The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJDFW) stocked the Metro Way pond, and contestants caught catfish, carp, sunfish, trout and bass. One lucky tot even caught a 10-inch snapping turtle.
“He [the turtle] snapped at me. I only caught a little fish last year,” said 4-year-old Sean Lawlor. Lawlor caught a three-inch sunfish soon after the derby started at 9 a.m. He caught the turtle at noon when the derby ended.Prizes and plaques were handed out at noon. The winners were Natalie Collins, 2, for the youngest angler; Zac Fearon caught the smallest sunfish at four-and-a-half inches; Mark DeChavez caught the biggest bass at 12-and-a-half inches; Jared Smeyers caught the biggest catfish at 12-and-a-half inches; Shaine Anne DeChavez caught the biggest carp at 13-and-a-half inches; Abigail Collins caught a tagged fish and Alyssa Meyer caught a grand total of 14 fish to grab the “most caught” prize.
Group effort
Mayor Elwell said because of the cleanliness of the pond, you can “catch and eat the fish.” At the derby, though, all the fish were caught, measured and released. The Mayor said he was continuing a Secaucus tradition.
“This was Mayor Just’s pet project. The pond was cleaned up by Department of Public Works employees who built the deck and installed the pumps for aeration,” Elwell said. “The NJDFW test the fish and water throughout the year.”
Parents, grandparents, toddlers and teens enjoyed a gloriously bright morning with outbreaks of excitement when each fish was caught. Designated town employees toured the banks to measure and count fish.
Secaucus truck driver Mike Sesko has been fishing the pond for 30 years. He said he takes pictures of every fish he catches and puts them in a scrapbook. Sesko, who was born on a pig farm, said white and yellow perch, as well as blue gills and eels, could be caught in the refurbished waters of the Duck Pond. The eels show up during high tide and moon tide, he said.
“The fish in this pond act funny – you never know when they’re going to bite,” Sesko said. “But it’s a lot better than when the pond was filled with garbage. They pulled a couple of cars out of here.” A total of 55 fish were caught during the three-hour event. Hot dogs and sodas were supplied free of charge.
Recreation Liaison Councilman Fred Constantino was on hand to mingle with residents and give a good word, along with Deputy Mayor John Reilly and Councilman Richard Kane.
“This is a great way for us to kick in and show the town we’re there for them,” said Recreation Director John Voli. “This is the way it should be.”