Posted on 01/26/2014 6:30:01 PM PST by cripplecreek
BROOKLYN, MI – Marc Melson plans to use part of his ice fishing prize money to go on vacation with his wife “somewhere warm” -- far from the ice and snow. Melson and cousin Joe Thornburg won first place in the 2014 Midwest Open Ice Fishing Tournament, taking home the grand prize of $20,100 for their winning catch of 7.99 pounds.
This was the first year the duo competed in the tournament, but they’ve been fishing for as long as they can remember. “We’ve been ice fishing since we were kids,” Thornburg said. “It’s a family tradition.”
Fishermen from nine states and Canada competed in the 2014 Midwest Open Ice Fishing Tournament at Wamplers Lake in Brooklyn on Sunday, Jan. 26. Out-of-state competitors included teams from Maine, Wyoming and New York. But the top three winning teams were all from Michigan.
“We have some of the best ice fisherman in the world,” said tournament organizer Tom Knutson of Knutson's Recreation Sales. “It’s because of the type of fishing that we do here that these guys are so good. You have to work harder to get fish.”
Mike Boedeker of Lansing and Myron Gilbert of Brooklyn placed second in the tournament, winning a cash prize of $3,500 for a 7.83-pound catch. Both have fished internationally for the USA Ice Fishing Team.
“I’ve competed in the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Poland, and we’re going to Belarus this year,” said Boedeker, who won a gold medal for the U.S. in 2010 at the World Ice Fishing Championship in Rhinelander, Wis.
Teams of two fished for eight bluegills and eight crappies with the top prize given for the greatest weight recorded by a team.
The tournament officially started at 8 a.m. Sunday, but teams were out on the ice long before. Many arrived earlier in the week to scout and pre-fish, sometimes using special underwater cameras to get a better look underneath the ice.
The annual event is a much-anticipated event with 150 teams competing, and many returning fishermen.
David Kaiser and Joe Miskowski of Jackson have been contestants in the tournament for five years. This year they won a third-place prize of $2,000 for their catch of 7.27 pounds.
Knutson said his tournament is the highest-paying two-man ice fishing tournament in the country, and a big reason payouts are so large is due to tournament sponsors such as HR Desa, H.T. Enterprises and Experience Jackson, among others.
The total amount of cash and prizes given out was $36,915.74.
Entry process for the 2015 Midwest Open Ice Fishing Tournament began Monday, Jan. 20, and will run through Feb. 28. Those interested can find more information on the tournament's website.
Maybe we should hook up some FReeper teams next year.
good excuse to drink beer in a shack.
Fish caught through the ice are best anyway. A lot of fish are kind of mushy during the summer.
What is this fiction about ice fishing? Everyone knows the world’s ice has disappeared.
She begins chopping the hole and a thunderous voice from above says "THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE" She looks around and sees nobody and finishes chopping the hole.
She sets up her tent and seat, drops a line in the hole and waits while jigging the pole up and down.
A few minutes go by and again a thunderous voice from above says "THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE" she looks out the tent and sees nobody around so she goes back to fishing.
A few minutes go by and again a thunderous voice from above says "THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE" she looks up and says, "God is that You?"
The thunderous voice from above says "NO, IT'S THE RINK MANAGER, THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE"
I use last year’s hole.
Cheater!
That’s what he said!
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