Most people are not professional fisherman but like to go
fishing and also do their part for charities.
Every year more and more people of all skill levels and experience are
attending ice fishing contests for charities. Most people don’t realize that
the smaller, local fishing contests are not sponsored by a professional fishing
organization but are charity events. These events are becoming quite popular. There
are an increasing number of people who attend for the fishing contest but many
others just for the door prizes and people watching. Almost all of the prizes
are donated from individuals, local groups and businesses. Most prizes are more
valuable than you would expect and it’s not all about winning only fishing equipment
or cash.
The door prizes are like opening a box of chocolates, wide
and varied. There is everything from hiking equipment to quality art pieces and
even teeth cleaning. Many fisheries now allow you to put your tickets on
specific prizes. I think organizers discovered that donations increased when
they allowed people to enter for what they really want and not a random prize
that they didn’t have a use for. I don’t think anybody won the teeth cleaning.
I’ve won a bunch of stuff like gift certificates, an ice auger and bottles of
booze. Entering for door prizes is easy and cheap. There are the big prizes
that can cost around $25.00 for two or three tickets and there are the smaller
prizes for about a buck a ticket. Some events even hand out “mystery bags” full
of fishing stuff and discount coupons just for showing up.
Entering the fishing contest is easy and cheap too. The
entry fees I’ve seen have been around $20.00. There isn’t any prequalifying
requirements for the contest, just show up and fish. The contest is for the
biggest fish in a category. The categories and rules vary for each event so
check with the registration desk on your way in. Some events require live
release now. I haven’t ever won but always enter because you never know when
you might “catch the big one” and the money goes to a charity anyway. The
prizes for winning a biggest fish category are usually cash and sometimes a
significant amount. I’ve seen 1st place for up to $1,000.00 and 2nd
$500.00.
People watchers bring your cameras. You can’t see people
dressed like this while doing this type of activity anywhere else. The dress
code is, I’m going ice fishing, I’m dressing for the cold and I’m going to get
fish stink on me. I don’t mean the North Face type outfits, I mean the outdoor working
stiff kind for people who live in the cold. You have to see it to believe it.
Go see the movie Grumpy Old Men, the clothing is kinda like that. You’ll see a
lot of homemade clothing like hats, gloves and scarves. Some of it is really
quality, interesting work and some is more like a yard sale. There are also
people who dress for their favorite football teams, there are pirates and there
is always the blaze orange hunter look. It’s more about function with a touch
of personal flare than it is fashion. A word of caution though, some people who
attend these events are a little introverted, so not everybody likes to have
their picture taken, be polite and ask first.
