Winners of 25th Annual Lake McSwain Trout Derby announced

More than 300 anglers participated in the 25th Annual Lake McSwain Trout Derby this past weekend with a backdrop of near-perfect weather.

“It was just an absolutely great day up here at the lake and we had a tremendous turnout,” said Brooke Gutierrez, director of Merced Irrigation District Parks and Recreation, according to an MID news release.

“Things could not have gone better and we are already looking forward to the next McSwain trout derby,” Gutierrez added.

The derby was held from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 15.

In total, 304 participants used the popular smart phone app FishDonkey to compete in the tournament this year.

“The response we received from our anglers was overwhelmingly positive,” said Gutierrez.

The winners of the derby were as follows:

Longest Trout: $2,000 Ethan Heu – 24.75 inches

Stringer of 3 Longest Trout: $2,000 Shoua Vang – 70 inches total: 24 inches; 23.50 inches and 22.50 inches

Wild Card $500 (one adult randomly selected from all participants) Jason Smithone – 16.25 inch trout

Wild Card Kids Fishing Pole and Tackle Box (One winner under age 16 randomly selected. Sponsored by Splash N Dash/Reel Deal Café and Market), Carlos Torres, 15 inch trout