DA Hoovler launches sixth annual Youth Fishing Derby for ages 4-18

David M. Hoovler announced March 6 that the sixth annual Orange County District Attorney’s Office Youth Fishing Derby will run April 1 through September 14, 2026, and is open to children ages 4–18 who are children or grandchildren of Orange County residents. The program returns under the slogan, "Get Hooked on Fishing, Not Drugs," continuing Hoovler’s community outreach that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hoovler launched the first Derby in 2021 as an alternative to indoor youth activities cancelled by COVID-19; the original announcement framed the contest as a way to "encourage the youth of Orange County to participate in an exciting outdoor sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. Remember, any fish entered in the Derby, big or small, has an equal chance to win a prize." That message has guided the program through four prior contests and a fifth contest in 2025, when winners were announced October 2, 2025.

Entry to the 2026 contest is free. To enter, contestants must email a photo of the child holding the legally caught fish, the child’s first name, and an adult contact phone number to dafishingcontest@gmail.com. Each angler may submit up to three entries during the contest window to increase chances of winning; both fresh and saltwater fish legally caught anywhere in New York State are eligible. Ten winners will be drawn at random from all entries received, and each angler is limited to one prize package.

Prizes historically have included an Orange County District Attorney’s Office limited t-shirt and a Mystery Tackle Box Bass Fishing Kit; prizes can be picked up at the District Attorney’s Office in Goshen or mailed after the contest concludes. In 2025 the first winner drawn, Navaeh Jeanty, received a bonus $100 gift certificate to Thruway Sporting Goods in Walden in addition to the standard prize package. All photos submitted to the Derby become the property of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Youth Fishing Derby.

The contest sits within a robust local fishing ecosystem: the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation stocks about 38,000 trout in Orange County waters annually, the Orange County Federation of Sportsmen supplements stocking in public waters, and the county contains 86 named lakes plus hundreds of unnamed lakes and ponds. Rivers with public access include the Hudson, Delaware, Neversink, Ramapo and Wallkill, and popular shore-access spots include Harriman State Park, Bear Mountain State Park and Winding Hills Park, where thousands of local fishing licenses are sold each year.

Hoovler has urged safety and outdoor participation in past announcements: "I commend all of the participants in the District Attorney’s Office Youth Fishing Derby, and I hope that you enjoyed your time in our great outdoors," he said in the 2025 winners announcement. "Fishing is a great opportunity to see and experience the best of nature. Always remember safety first when fishing."

To enter the sixth annual Derby, send entries to dafishingcontest@gmail.com between April 1 and September 14, 2026; winners will be drawn at random and prizes distributed from the Goshen District Attorney’s Office or mailed thereafter, continuing the program’s effort to connect Orange County youth with outdoor recreation.