Kids cast their lines, land prizes during police department’s fishing derby

PROPHETSTOWN – Juniper Kester was all smiles when she picked out a bright pink bike with her mom, Emily, at the Prophetstown Police Department’s fishing derby on Saturday.

And it didn’t matter one bit to Juniper, 18 months, that she didn’t catch a fish.

“She kinda fished, she said, ‘water, water,’ when we started,” Emily Kester, of Prophetstown, said.

Juniper was one of 81 kids who took part in the 17th annual Dick Brown Fishing Derby Saturday morning at Prophetstown State Park.

Kids “competed” in three age groups: 0-6, 7-10 and 11-14, and each earned a prize, even if they didn’t catch a fish.

Police Chief Brice Franks was the emcee of the event and was in charge of picking participants’ names from a coffee container before they went to the picnic shelter to pick out their prize.

“We’ve had a fishing derby for close to 60 years,” Franks said. “Seventeen years ago we renamed it to honor Dick Brown. He would say, ‘hey, hey it’s time to start fishing.’”

Three-year-old Ophelia Collinson of Tampico needed her dad, Kelly, to help her bring in a 3½ pound catfish, the second fish caught in the 0-6 age group.

“That’s a pretty good one,” said Tara Gibson, the official weigher and worker at city hall. “The first fish caught was a northern pike that weighed 3 pounds.”

While some kids scoured the bank looking for the perfect fishing spot, some opted to catch frogs or crawfish, climb rocks, or – like 5-year-old Andrew Morgan of Sterling – carry a nightcrawler for a while before tossing it into the Rock River.

We have great volunteers. We could not do this without them. Local businesses donate prizes. When they see us come in they say ‘oh it must be fishing derby time’. Everyone walks away with something.

—  Prophetstown Police Chief Bruce Franks

Lily Diaz, 9, of Prophetstown, kept her pole steady despite having a cast on her left hand and wrist due to a broken finger. But Scarlett Diaz, 11, was busy showing offer her catch – a little frog she named “Itty Bitty.”

Back at the picnic shelter, Gibson presented Franks with a special award in recognition of his years running the derby.

Saturday’s event was Franks’ last derby since he will be retiring from the police force in February 2024.

“Thirty and a half years is enough,” he said smiling and noting he has been chief for 9 years. “All of those 30 years have been in Prophetstown. I had it all here so I didn’t need to go anywhere else.”

He said the derby is made possible by volunteers and the generosity of local businesses.

“We have great volunteers. We could not do this without them,” he said. “Local businesses donate prizes. When they see us come in they say, ‘oh it must be fishing derby time.’ Everyone walks away with something.”

And, of course, this year’s event included free doughnuts.

“We call them ‘power rings’ in law enforcement,” joked Franks.