Mill Creek’s Leo Mandel carefully held his fishing pole and cast his line into Lake Uihlein.
Mandel, 5, anxiously waited to see if a fish would take his bait.
“[Leo Mandel] is the fisherman of the family,” said Jessica Mandel, Leo’s mother. “He learned to fish from my dad. He’s a big fisherman. There’s a long line of fishermen in my family.”
Leo Mandel was hoping to use the skills he learned from his grandfather, Richie D’Amato, to catch a fish and win for his age group of the Youth Fishing Tournament on March 27. The event was hosted by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club.
The fishing tournament was a first for the Mandels along with several of the other 38 tournament participants.
Bradenton's Elijah Tirado, who is 10, scouts where the fish are in Lake Uihlein.
Bradenton's Ethan Tirado, who is 8, practices casting his line. Tirado came in third place in his age group at the Youth Fishing Tournament last year.
Lakewood Ranch's Colton Baughman, who is 12 years old, says using hard baits is the best way to catch a fish.
Bradenton's Guy Averill has been teaching his 9-year-old daughter Harper and 11-year-old daughter Stella learn how to fish. The girls started fishing during spring break this year.
Mill Creek's Leo Mandel, who is 5, has been fishing for a year and learned from his grandfather, Richie D'Amato. His mother, Jessica Mandel, says Leo is the fisherman of the family.
Orlando's Parker Ramos visits his grandfather, Joe Pfeiffer, who lives in Esplanade, every year to participate in the Youth Fishing Tournament.
Sarasota's Allie Lipinski, who is 6, patiently waits to see if she will catch a fish.
Sarasota's Alex Nadal, who is 7, and his father, Roberto Nadal, participate in the Youth Fishing Tournament for the first time.
Polo Run's Jabari Armotrading, who is 13 years old, went fishing when he was 8 years old, but he hadn't had a chance to fish again until the Youth Fishing Tournament. He's excited to get back to fishing.
East County's Jayden Moore, who is 12, wants to win a trophy at the Youth Fishing Tournament. He's been fishing for three years.
Del Tierra's Chase McCorkel says the best way to catch a fish is to take it slow, use a night crawler or normal worm for bait and slowly reel the line in.
The Youth Fishing Tournament was all about quality time for 7-year-old Leo Ozgun, his dad, Ozzie Ozgun, and 9-year-old brother Tyler Ozgun.
