A lot of very experienced fishermen come to the Island to fish the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. In addition to the Island natives who know the waters and know the fish, veteran anglers come from all over New England and beyond.

But none of the hotshots managed to do what Aubrey Warburton did in this year’s derby. The fourth-grader at the Oak Bluffs school recorded the first grand slam of the derby, weighing in fish in each of the four species categories. Others have recorded grand slams since, and some caught bigger fish. But she was the first.

“I caught them on many different days,” Aubrey said. “We just go fishing, usually on the weekend. I caught a couple this weekend, and last weekend. I caught a really small bluefish. I need to beat that.” The daughter of Nick and Noelle Warburton, Aubrey is nine years old, and has been fishing since she was five. When talking with the Gazette this week, she wore a “Girls Kick Bass” sweatshirt.

Nick Warburton is a charter captain. Beginning in June he juggles fishing with his Fetherwedge Charters outfit, commercial rod and reel fishing, as well as gathering and selling bait to other fishermen and local tackle shops. All this while keeping up with the duties of his landscape company.

Mr. Warburton, an Island native, said he grew up fishing the derby, and it taught him lessons he carries with him today, lessons he tries to teach Aubrey and her big brother Mason.

“I think the derby sort of taught me when I was younger to work hard,” Mr. Warburton said. “You get what you put into it, as far as effort. It certainly shows in my kids. They see all the hard work and effort that goes into it.”

Aubrey Warburton likes to cook, bake and ride horses, but her favorite activity is fishing. She loves participating in the derby.

“I like that a lot of people just get to go fishing, and you compete with them,” Aubrey said. “You can see all the different weights that fish can be.”

She says the best part of the whole deal is fishing with her family, and she especially likes to compete with her brother Mason.

“He’s competitive, and so am I,” she said. “We wake up really early in the morning. Sometimes we wake up a little late. A lot of time we get in the car and drive up to Chilmark and get out there. Maybe grab some eels sometimes.”

Aubrey has a favorite species of fish.

“I like bass the best,” she said. “They’re a big fish, they’re all scaly.”

Last year she landed a 27.52 pound striped bass to weigh in at the derby.

The Warburton family fishes most often from a 25-foot boat, which Aubrey has learned to drive in a complicated maneuver while her father stands on the bow managing a cast net to gather bait.

“When you throw out the net, you have to drive circles around the net as it’s sinking,” Mr. Warburton said. “She stands on a cooler, she can steer really well, follow directions well.”

Aubrey has perfected her own technique for landing big fish. Sometimes she is not quite strong enough for the traditional pull and reel technique, so she simply holds her rod up, and walks backward in the boat, then reels in as she walks forward.

“Sometimes it’s easy, and sometimes it’s hard,” Aubrey said. “Either when the fish is foul hooked, or if it’s really heavy and it’s taking a lot of line.”

But perhaps her most impressive fishing exploit came outside the derby, on a family vacation to Mexico last winter. On a charter trip, Aubrey landed a 160-pound, seven-foot long, striped marlin.

“The captain was so impressed that she was fighting it all by herself, strapped into a harness,” said Mr. Warburton. “It took about 40 minutes.”

Mr. Warburton said the derby is a special time of year for his family. He could be booked every weekend, but instead chooses to cut way down on his charter business, in order to spend time on the water with Aubrey and Mason.

“They’ve both developed a passion for it, her in particular,” Mr. Warburton said. “That’s what I live for. Gotta take the kids. It’s our time.”