VIDALIA — Seth Stanley, 10, had never caught anything that big before.

And while he was reeling it in, he admitted that he needed a little help from his dad, Robert Stanley.

“He had to pull me back some. That’s when I knew he was pretty big,” Seth Stanley said.

Seth got up at 6:30 Saturday morning to fish with his father for the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office 20th Annual Miss-Lou Merchants D.A.R.E. Youth Fishing Tournament. Robert Stanley’s girlfriend Lena Thornton, and her daughter Stephanie McGuffee, joined them both.

The four fished on Lake St. John, and the catfish Seth caught weighed 11.99 pounds.

“I was pretty excited,” Seth Stanley said.

Concordia Parish Sheriff Randy Maxwell said he started the tournament 20 years ago as a means for parents to bond with their children.

“Everyone works so hard, and we sometimes fail to do the most important thing — spend time with your children,” Maxwell said.

“We wanted to set aside a day for the child and parent. We look for it to build relationships and memories. Building good relationships has to start when they’re 2 or 3, because it makes you better prepared for the challenging years (of parenthood).”

The tournament saw 572 people sign up. The contestants were divided into four different ages categories: 2 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 14 and 15 to 18. Each contestant received a trophy, T-shirt and prize by default, and each category had first-, second- and third-place prizes.

“Those are measured by largest bream, bass and other species, which could range from a turtle to whatever else you caught,” Maxwell said.

Seth Stanley’s catfish won him second place in other species category in the ages 6 to 10 bracket. McGuffee’s 12.05-pound catfish won her first place in the same category in the ages 15 to 18 bracket.

Robert Stanley said he’s been taking his son fishing since Seth was 4, and he’s been letting him compete in the D.A.R.E. tournament since he was old enough.

“It was definitely an event, getting up at 6:30, but the kids loved it,” Robert Stanley said.

Although McGuffee said she’s been fishing since she was 4, this was her first time to compete in the D.A.R.E. tournament, she said. Her 12.05-pound catfish was the second largest she’s ever caught.

“I’ve caught one that was probably a little bigger, but I was fishing with my grandma then,” said McGuffee, 15.

“It was pulling pretty hard, but I didn’t need help. Even though I had a small metal rod, the line was made of string instead of plastic, so it didn’t snap.”

Thornton said being on the water with the children taught her a lot.

“It’s great just watching them, seeing them get excited, and then getting mad when they lose one. It’s a learning experience,” Thornton said.

After starting the tournament 20 years ago, Maxwell said he had no idea it would become as big as it has.

“It’s the largest youth fishing tournament in Louisiana and Mississippi. We draw people from Jackson, Baton Rouge and Alexandria,” Maxwell said.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ll have someone come up to me when I’m out of town and tell me how much they liked it, regardless of what time of the year it is.”

And Maxwell said he owes it to his team of volunteers, both from the CPSO staff and elsewhere.

“I can’t say enough about our staff. They put their hearts into this and work their butts off. I’m truly blessed to be able to work with them,” he said.