Junior anglers bring in jumbo fish

Who says a little kid can't reel in a big fish?

On Sunday, I got the chance to witness two youth with sizeable catches at the Destin Fishing Rodeo.

The first was 10-year-old Easton Hill who pulled in a 45.8-pound king mackerel while fishing with his dad Capt. Robert Hill on the Twilight. Young Hill loves to fish. I even caught him fishing off the front of his dad's boat while it was docked in the harbor this summer.

However on Sunday the young man, that weighs only 58 pounds himself, hauled in the largest king mackerel of the day. His 45.8-pound king also took first place in the Junior Division for king mackerel.

A couple of hours later, Reece Nixon, 11, hauled in a 196.6-pound hammerhead shark he caught while fishing on the Vengeance with Capt. Jason Hallmark. First mate Rodney Johnson said it took about 45 minutes to get the shark to the boat.

"It was pretty strong," said the youngster from Chattanooga, Tenn.

Nixon said the shark made about two runs before he got it to the boat.

And this wasn't his first shark. "That's my 12th shark," Nixon said. However, the one that went on the scale Sunday was his biggest thus far.

The shark was the largest for the day.

For  more photos from Sunday, click here.

On Monday, John Thomas Tomescla of Arkansas weighed in a 20.6-pound blackfin tuna. The nine-year-old was fishing aboard the Phoenixwith Capt. Scott Robson. His catch was the largest tuna for the day, plus the largest caught by a junior angler on Monday.

For more photos from Monday, click here.

Don't count the young anglers out. Remember just last week, 13-year-old Jayden Padgett weighed in a 35.8-pound grouper she caught on the Perfect Shot.

To get a first hand look at some of the catches come on down to the scales located on the docks behind AJ's Seafood and Oyster Bar. They are open daily from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. throughout the month of October.

See you on the docks.