Carlos Candelaria and his 9-year-old son Ezekiel rose early to drive nearly 100 miles from Lancaster to the Los Alamitos, Cypress & Seal Beach Rotary Club’s 31st Annual Seal Beach Fishing Derby for Kids.
This shared passion started when a friend from work told Carlos about a fish derby at Lake Elsinore. Their conversation kindled memories of a time when as a child, Carlos was included in his uncles’ fishing treks. Nostalgia motivated Carlos to jump on his computer and begin to research fishing competitions across Southern California. To his surprise, fishing derbies for children have been a part of the culture of our communities for decades. However, since 2016, they have been on a decline. Carlos made up his mind to do what he could to change that trajectory.
Although Carlos had introduced fishing to his family, busy schedules prevented them from making it a priority. However, when he brought up the competitions to his sons, Ezekiel was eager to join his dad. For father and son, adventures that have taken them as far as Mammoth Lake began with a shared commitment to support fishing derbies, have fun, and enjoy one another’s company.
When the Candelarias stepped onto the Seal Beach pier, they felt a welcoming sense of community and an excitement for the day ahead. A well-organized sign-in process enabled Ezekiel to quickly get his line in the water.
What Carlos treasures as he fishes with his son is the opportunity to slow down, share a picnic lunch, and have casual conversations together. For Ezekiel, fishing is fun! He loves being with his dad and he wants to win!! His oddest catch as they traveled from derby to derby was a beach towel! The catch he most valued was a little starfish caught up in seaweed and mud. He felt so proud that he was able to free that starfish, wash off the mud, and return the little creature safely to its home.
On this particular day, Ezekiel’s prize catch was a 2-pound 8-ounce Sting Ray that earned him a Third-Place trophy. Although he was thrilled with his win, Ezekiel is determined to return to Seal Beach next year to take First Place!
Next stop for Carlos and Ezekiel is Lake O’Neill where they will compete in a fish derby sponsored by the Marines of Camp Pendleton. However, it will not be just Carlos and Ezekiel making the trek. Their enthusiasm is catchy. His older brother and cousins have signed on to join them.
Congratulations to Ezekiel for his 3rd place finish and thanks so much to both Carlos and Ezekiel for making the 100-mile drive from Lancaster to the Seal Beach Pier. We look forward to seeing them both next August for the 32nd Seal Beach Fishing Derby.
