Fishing for fun

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Michael and Michael Junior Apell of Fort Myers discuss the intricacies of the sport of fishing.

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Eli Miller shows off the 7 inch, 3 ounce fish he caught with a little help from Colin.

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A competitor caught a female stingray who birthed two pups after she was caught. The pups were put in a tank at the Ostego Bay Foundation Marine Science Center so the kids could see them, but they were released later.

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Volunteer Jim Foerster measures Liam Hall's stingray catch while he watches with “Gigi” Jill Andreason of Cape Coral. Hall and his mom, Brandy, live in Lithia, but Brandy participated in the tournament when she was a child.

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Savanna Jeffers of North Fort Myers caught a 12.5-inch, 1 pound 4 ounce Gulf toadfish.

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The Ostego Bay Foundation’s annual kids fishing tournament has become a family tradition for some families.

Scott Whitaker’s company, Bean, Whitaker, Lutz and Kareh, Inc., helps sponsor the event. But it means more to him than a charitable endevor. Whitaker used to bring his son, who is now 35, when he was 3 years old, he said. Before, it was held off of the Fort Myers Beach Pier. Now, it’s held annually before July 4 at Bonita Bill’s Waterfront Cafe.

Now, Whitaker’s daughter has brought her two children, and his brother brought his grandson, too.

“It brings everyone together without the electronics,” he said.

More than 100 kids participated in the fishing tournament, held Saturday, July 1 at Bonita Bills Waterfront Cafe. The event was free to the participants, who get a free fishing pole, bait and lunch. After the tournament, the kids got to have a water gun fight.

Everything is donated, from the food to the rods, by donations from local businesses.

“It’s a community effort,” said Ostego Bay Foundation founder Joanne Semmer.