For the first time, a fishing tournament for children was held in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, on Sunday, May 11th. The event attracted over 300 kids and their parents, making it a fun and engaging competition. The kids fishing tournament began at 8AM, and fishing took place from the shoreline, seawalls, and piers around town. By 2PM, everyone returned to the weighing station with their catches, and the top fishers were awarded prizes.
The tournament was organized by local islander and entrepreneur Elito Arceo, in collaboration with the Ambergris Caye Fishing Association and other stakeholders. It featured three age categories: 5-7, 8-10, and 11-13 years old. Arceo greeted participants early Sunday morning at the Boca del Rio Beach Park, welcoming them and thanking the parents for allowing their children to join the inaugural kids’ fishing tournament.
To promote sustainable fishing practices, specific size limits were set for the fish: four inches for shadow mojarra, six inches for snapper and yellowtail, and 12 inches for barracuda. Participants were required to bring a ruler to measure their catches and to record a video of their fish. The event also included raffles, and many lucky winners went home with fantastic prizes.
After hours of fishing, the young anglers returned to Boca del Rio Beach Park with their parents. They formed a line to submit their catches at the weighing station, where the judges tallied the scores. Later, Arceo took the stage, joined by some of his supporters, to announce the winners by category.
In the female category for ages 5-7, Erin Jane from Team Jone’s Catch secured fourth place, followed by Rosie from Team Finding Nemo in third place. Vera Bradley from Team Vera won second place, and Brittany Siguenza from Team Los Panchitos took first place. In the male category, there were three top winners. Nestor Cerbon from Team Fishing King came in third, while Izach Bradley from Team The 3 Bees was awarded second place. The first-place winner was Jacob Pineda from Team Marinas Reg King.
In the 8-10 age group, Azaria from Team Azaria secured fourth place in the female category. Araia from Team Tacos la Diosa secured third place, and Aavie, representing Team Ramon’s, finished second. Team 3Bs took home the top prize in this category. In the male category, Zane Godoy from Team Big Sea came in fourth, followed by Jallen Bradley from Team Reel Raskal in third place. Mikey J with Team Mar Azul finished in second place, and Rolando from Team Tiburon emerged as the top fisher in this age division.
In the 11-13 age category, Alaya Chi from Team Choky Chaser finished in fourth place in the female category. Team Delfin secured third place, while Nathleen from Team San Pedro Cadets came in second. The top winner was Vivean from Team No Boat, No Problem. In the male category, Geovani Marin Jr. (without a team name) received the fourth-place prize. Josbin Bradley from Team D Catching Duo finished in third place, and Baldimar from Team Bait Brawlers was awarded second place. The first-place winner was Tyler Kuhn from Team Mar Azul.
Additionally, participants from Caye Caulker also took home prizes, which included bicycles, electric scooters, footballs, basketballs, fishing rods, headphones, and other items.
After the top winners were announced, a grand raffle took place, allowing more children to go home with prizes. Arceo and his team were very pleased with the turnout and informed the crowd that the fishing tournament would be held again next year. “It was heartwarming to see parents taking out their children for some fishing adventure,” Arceo said.
He publicly thanked all the sponsors who helped bring the event to reality. Those who contributed to the tournament included Mayor Wally Nuñez and the San Pedro town Council, Area Representative Honourable Andre Perez, Rebecca Arceo- Mildred Rosalez-Seaduced by Belize, Pancho Zheng – Captain Morgans Resort, Ian Pou -Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Roberto Bradley, Charles Leslie, Jorge Requena from Caye Caulker. Also Caribena Fuels, Christine Syme, Amanda Syme from Sunrise Realty, Ramon’s Village Resort, Belize Pro Divers, Oceantide Resort, Victoria House, Belize Game Fish Association, Cris and Sons Trucking Service, Bowen and Bowen, Judy Ann Horton, Paradise Cream, Black Orchid Restaurant, YOLO – Kristina Harris, James Ritchie-Captain Sharks, Coastal Zone Management, Jack / Deep Drop Store, Captain Dave, Pablo Sosa and Family, Omar Arceo, Irvin Chacon, Dennis Alfaro, Nestor Cerpa, Ian Olivia, Nellie Gomez, Eugene Bul, Ray Tyree, Mikey and Noemi Kuhn, Kristen Newton from Someplace South Restaurant, Kristian Guerrero, Jeff Bella from ReMax, Ilda Ancona from Linos Meats, Jorge Cante, Adrian Estell, and Edwin Aldana.
