Wearing a bright green "Tihonet Pond Fishing Derby" T-shirt, 10-year-old Brenden Griffin flicked his wrist repeatedly as he tried to cast his line farther and farther into the water.

"Slow it down, slow it down," coached his mother Susan Griffin, teaching her son to take his time in order to successfully cast his line into the waters of Tihonet Pond.

The Griffins conducted their coaching session as part of the Tihonet Pond Fishing Derby and fundraiser held by the Middleboro-based Wankinquoah Rod and Gun Club and hosted by cranberry grower A.D. Makepeace on Sunday, June 3.

The event started in the wee hours of the morning as participants came in for registration starting at 4 a.m. Fishing on the banks of Tihonet Pond and the small streams flowing out of the pond began at 6 a.m.

"A family of four [or] five kids come here, and it's good to see them. They catch a little fish, they get excited," said Rod and Gun Club President Roland Murphy. "It's an opportunity for them to be doing something other than sitting in front of the TV."

The event was put on by the club's 10- to 17-year-old "associate" members, who spent the a week under the supervision of an advisor preparing for the derby, Murphy said.

That meant setting up stations where fish caught during the derby could be weighed, figuring out how much bait was needed for the event, picking up trash, and other odds and ends needed to help the event run smoothly, according to 11-year-old associate member Danny Holmes.

"It was fun," said Holmes, "except that we had to wake up at 4:00 in the morning."

Holmes, whose fish count as of 1 p.m. on Sunday was a pickerel, a bass, and "tons of sunfish," spent part of his afternoon at the banks of a small stream traveling from Tihonet Pond south along Tihonet Road -- a "hot spot" for catching fish according to other derby participants.

The Griffins, on the other hand, could be seen during the afternoon tucked between bushes on the banks of the pond with friend Nichole McWilliams and her 8-year-old son Owen Reis.

"This is something we do together, as friends," said Susan Griffin, adding that she has been coming to the derby with friend McWilliams and her son for the past six years.

"It's good quality family time," she said. "It's fun for the family. … A nice, quiet, relaxing day."

For Griffin's friend McWilliams, the day was also a good indication that the cold months are over and outdoor activities could begin.

"This is a good way to start the [fishing season] off. That's how we know it's the beginning of summer," McWilliams said.

The derby, which is more than 50 year old, used to play that role for many fishermen, according to Murphy.

"Fifty years ago, you couldn't fish every day throughout the year," said Murphy. "There was an opening day, on the first Saturday in April."

Currently, however, fishermen can receive licenses to fish throughout the year. The loss of that "opening day" concept has brought participation in the derby down from the 500 to 600 people who used to attend, Murphy said.

Still, the event is the biggest one put on all year by the associate members, Murphy said.

It is also a fundraiser. Money raised pays for activities for the associate members and helps send five members to a two-week conservation camp held in July and August, Murphy said.

A.D. Makepeace has hosted the derby for a number of years, said A.D. Makepeace Director of Events and Agritourism Kim Houdlette.

"We have a long-standing relationship with the [Wankinquoah] club," Houdlette said.

"A lot of families come" to the derby, said Houdlette, adding that "with some groups there are three or four generations" of family members fishing together during the derby.

Prizes were given out for catching the biggest fish such as bass, pickerel, and pan fish in both an adult and kids category. Items awarded included reels, fishing rods, and tackle boxes.

For Owen Reis, it was both the tournament atmosphere and the joy of fishing that brought him out on derby day.

"I like fishing, because you get to just sit back, and when the fish get your line, you can just go … and it just puts up a good competition. … Plus, you don't know who's going to get the bigger fish," said Reis.

The following were the winners of the biggest catches of the day for both youth and adults in the bass, pickerel, and pan fish categories, as well as the winners of the grand raffle.

Youth Prizes

Bass

1st Place 2 lb 11 oz Brian Holmes

2nd Place 2 lb 5 oz Alex Souza

3rd Place 2 lb 4 oz Josh Byrne

Pickerel

1st Place 3 lb 7 oz Ryan Souza

2nd Place 1 lb 14 oz Shawn Byrne

3rd Place 1 lb 9 oz Alex Demarco

Pan Fish

1st Place 1 Pound Josh Byrne

2nd Place 1 Pound Josh Byrne

3rd Place 13 oz Josh Heney

Adult Prizes

Bass

1st Place 5 lb 7 oz Michael Edwards

2nd Place 4 lb 15 oz Gary Swift

3rd Place 4 lb 2 oz Bradley Johnson

Pickerel

1st Place 2 lb 10 oz Marshall Fernandes

2nd Place 2 lb 9 oz Chris Ellis

3rd Place 2 lb 7 oz Eric Bourque

Grand Raffle

1st Prize, Johnson Kayak, Jon Poole

2nd Prize, Fly Fishing Lessons, Andrew Yahner

3rd Prize, Fishing Combo, Michaela McDuffy