By Talia Sampson | Daily Republic | October 12, 2009
RIO VISTA - As wind stirred the current and gently rocked the dock near Main Street, Theron Hylton, 14, calmly watched his fishing line for any sign of a bite Sunday.
'Fishing is my life because it's the best thing in the world and if I had no school, it's all I would do,' Theron said.
Theron, of Stockton, joined almost 1,000 fishermen of all ages competing in the 62nd Annual Rio Vista Bass Derby.
The derby is a three-day fishing competition with catfish and striped bass fishing competitions for children 15 and under and striped bass fishing and sturgeon fishing competitions for adults.
Fairfield resident Twan Nguyen won the $2,000 grand prize for his 33-inch, 14.18-pound striped bass.
Nguyen said the secret to his success was that he was 'just in the right place at the right time.'
Stockton resident Paul Koval won the $1,000 grand prize for his 58-inch, 53.85-pound sturgeon.
Koval is the pastor for Springs Christian Fellowship in Stockton, but played hooky Sunday to compete.
'This whole thing is totally cool,' Koval said. 'I'm going to have to come back next year to defend my title.'
He said he was drawn to the competition because he had only recently taken up fishing for sturgeon and was encouraged by friends and family to give it a shot. He attributes his success to the advice he received from local bait shops and the Isleton/Delta Chapter of the California Striped Bass Association, one of the event's sponsors.
See the complete story at the Daily Republic online.
