VALPARAISO — It was hard to tell who had a tastier meal – the fish or the fishermen, at the 2nd annual Fishing Derby to benefit the Don Quijote Scholarship Foundation Sunday.
 
While Carlos Rivero, co-owner of Don Quijote Restaurant in Valparaiso, cooked up hot dogs with onions, peppers and Spanish spices for the derby’s guests, a young fisherman was dishing out his own homemade concoction.
 
Gavin Vogel, 16, shared his “secret catfish bait” with Nathan O’Connor, who promptly caught a 22 inch catfish as a result.
 
“It’s cherry Jello, hot dogs, and garlic,” said Vogel, of Westville. “I saw it on YouTube.”
 
The derby, which raises money for students to travel abroad to study Spanish, hosted nearly 100 people at Rivero’s fishing pond at his rural Valparaiso home.
 
Rivero stocked the pond with 300 fish, including catfish, blue gill, perch, and crappie, but said the day was not so much a fundraiser as an enjoyable family day outside.
 
“There are so many incredible kids catching fish and having fun,” said Rivero, decked out in his white chef’s jacket. “I love seeing kids catch fish. I want them to have an incredible time and make a memory.”
 
Rivero said high school students from Valparaiso, Portage, and Chesterton, as well as college students, are eligible to apply for the foundation’s scholarships, which are awarded through school travel and study programs. Grades and family income are two large determinants of awards – scholarships are given to students who otherwise would not have the funds to participate in a travel study program.
 
“We want to give someone the opportunity to have the most wonderful experience in their life,” said Rivero.
 
Rivero said the students typically give a presentation to board members after their trips abroad.
 
“It’s amazing to hear how much it changed their lives – something they would have never thought possible,” said Rivero.
 
Foundation member Cindy Leland said the group distributed $22,000 among 11 scholarships in 2015, and the group is working on ways to get the word out about the scholarships and the foundation’s fundraisers.
 
She said the derby is “something different than the average fundraiser.”
 
“This was Carlos’s dream – and we go with Carlos,” said Leland, of Valparaiso.
 
Joel and Beth Mehling and their family – Brody, 9, and Elliot, 6 – thought the cause was a good one.
 
“We’ve been fishing all day,” said Beth Mehling. “I knew they’d love this.”
 
Nancy Highwood, of Chesterton, sat in the sun with her daughter, Gwen O’Connor, while O’Connor’s husband, Ken, and son, Evan, 11 fished off a pier.
 
“My kids love fishing,” said Gwen O’Connor, of Jackson Township. “It’s beautiful out here.”
 
Nathan O’Connor threw back a small bass after his success with Vogel’s secret catfish bait.
 
“I guess it’s not so secret anymore,” said Nathan.