In the heart of Alabama’s Black Belt, 9-year-old Fin Rittenberry of Sweet Water School has been named the winner of the Alabama Black Belt Adventure Association’s (ALBBAA) 2025 Best Fish Photo Contest.

Known to his family as “Fishing Fin,” the fourth grader has built quite a reputation for his love of the sport. “He’d fish 24/7 if we’d let him,” said his grandfather, Ricky Ault.

Fin’s mom, Lauren Ault, snapped the winning photo after he reeled in a bass on one of his first casts during a July fishing trip to a family friend’s pond in the Tallahatta Springs community in Clarke County.

“As soon as we stopped, Fin was out of the car with a pole in his hand and already casting,” Ricky Ault recalled. “He doesn’t waste any time when he goes fishing, and he’s pretty good at picking the right spots where the bass will be.”

For Fin, the memory is simple and sweet: “I had a lot of fun, and it put up a big fight,” he said.

The photo earned more than 1,000 online votes, edging out runner-up Chandler Sheehan by about 100 votes. As the winner, Fin received a $100 gift card.

The contest, designed to showcase how anglers of all ages enjoy the Black Belt’s abundant fishing opportunities, drew dozens of entries and thousands of online votes.

“We are so fortunate in the Black Belt to have countless lakes, streams, and rivers to fish,” said Pam Swanner, director of the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association. “Many of the entries showed young people fishing, including the winning one of Fin, and that’s a wonderful reminder that outdoor recreation is available to people of all ages.”

Alabama’s Black Belt region includes 23 counties stretching between the Appalachian Foothills and the Coastal Plain — from Barbour and Butler to Wilcox and Tuscaloosa.

The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association promotes and enhances outdoor recreation and tourism in ways that benefit both the economy and the environment. Learn more at www.alabamablackbeltadventures.org.