Eleven-year-old Chris Leonard was excited to take home two prizes during the Annual Wankinquoah Rod and Gun Club Fishing Derby on Sunday at Tihonet Pond.

Chris said he’s been fishing for years now, but this was his first time participating in the derby. When asked how it felt to place twice, he said, “Just feels awesome.” He held onto his new fishing rod and added, “We got here really early to fish.”

In the youth category, he caught the third largest bass and third largest pickerel in their own competitions. Each weighed 1 pound and 11 ounces.

Mike Houdlette, advisor to the Rod and Gun Club Associates, said he saw a lot of familiar faces from last year.

“We see the same families every year. It’s almost like a big extended party,” he said. He explained that some who attended were serious fishermen while others went out to have some fun.

With 175 registered fishers (121 adults, 54 children), and 35 volunteers, the event had a good turnout despite poor weather.

Registration began at 4 a.m. and the derby started at 6 a.m. with boats launching into the pond. Participants were able to fish from the shore, bring their own boat, or rent a kayak from the Nemasket Kayak Center.

After seven hours, those registered brought in their largest fish to be weighed.

The competition was split between adults and youths 14 and under. Adults could enter fish into two separate categories: bass and pickerel. The youths could qualify for three categories: bass, pickerel and panfish. The largest fish by weight won, and the top three winners were awarded in each section.

Greg Barrett caught the largest bass of all the adults, weighing in at 5 pounds and 10 ounces. In second place was Wil Oullette with a 4-pound, 10-ounce fish. In third was Nick Hinko with a 3-pound, 9-ounce fish.

Ben Alden was the winner of the pickerel competition. His weighed 4 pounds and 2 ounces. Jim Reed placed second with a 3-pound, 15-ounce fish. Chris Ellis came in third with a 3-pound, 13-ounce pickerel.

Ryan Souza caught a 3-pound, 9-ounce bass that placed him first in the youth competition. After him was Wil Oullette, Jr. with a 1-pound, 13-ounce bass. With a 1-pound and 11-ounce fish, Chris Leonard took third place.

Chris Bruneau won first in the pickerel category with a 2-pound fish. Ryan Souza took home second place (1-pound, 12 ounces), and Chris Leonard came in third (1-pound, 11 ounces).

Jake Whittemore was the panfish winner, bringing in a 14-ounce fish. Following behind were Mat Ruggerio and Robert Haskell with fish weighing 13 ounces.

Along with the derby, a large raffle and silent auction took place. There were more than 20 items to bid for and a grand raffle that included four pre-season Patriots Tickets and a Necky Manitou Sport Kayak.

Michael Sprague was the first place raffle winner, taking home a Tracker 10' Jon Boat and trolling motor.

Phillip Sprague, Michael Sprague’s son, said “[The derby] was fun and exciting. I caught multiple blue gills, which are small fish with little blue gills.”

He’s been attending the derby for three years now.

All 35 volunteers, aged 10 to 17, were from the Rod and Gun Club Associates, a youth organization. They took care of all the needs of the derby from 4 a.m. until the event ended at 3 p.m., from manning refreshment and registration stations to assisting fishers with boats and directions.