All told, there were 4,063 ticketed anglers, including nearly 300 youths under age 16. In addition to 50 daily port prize winners, the final payout went 175 places deep, ending with a pair of 19.92-pounders.
Winning the first place prize of $15,000 cash and choice of a custom-made silver salmon ring or necklace from artist Paul Spanbauer of Wisconsin Charm is the husband and wife team of Bill & Nancy Hackett, and friend Pat Zastrow. Their 27.39-pounder hit a magnum glow spoon a couple hours after sunrise July 15 off their home port of Algoma.
Earning second place, good for $8,000 and a Howie’s Tackle prize package, was Jeff Hartfield of Stephenson, Mich., with fellow Yooper Jacob Wangerin. Their 27.36-pounder smacked a flasher/fly combo opening night, July 10, off Algoma, and was weighed the next morning.
Third place, $5,000 cash, an $800 Yeti cooler and a $500 memorial award goes to Algoma’s Todd Wiese for a 25.68 landed near Washington Island with friend Lance Kirchman July 16.
Including port prizes, early-bird shopping sprees and numerous other sponsor prizes, the total payout again exceeded $100,000 in cash and prizes.
It was the first time since 2014 that the top Chinook failed to hit 30 pounds or more. The 11-year string of 30s tied 1989-1999 for the most consecutive 30-pound-plus first place fish.
In 2024, 164 25-plus-pounders were brought to tournament scales. Last year, there were 10. This year? Just five.
Meanwhile, the lakewide Salmon-A-Rama, headquartered in Racine, wrapped up a 9-day event Sunday. Six of the 10 heaviest fish weighed were trout, five lakers (including a 32.84 at Sheboygan) and a brown (26.58 at Sheboygan). The other four were Chinooks, and all were caught off of Door and Kewaunee counties. The largest, 25.44, was landed off Kewaunee. Salmon-A-Rama had just 89 salmon 20 pounds or larger; the K/D had 164. The biggest coho went 12.50 pounds.
Also, the 47th annual Two Rivers Kiwanis Fish Derby saw a 21.9-pound Chinook, 15.5 laker, 13.6 brown, 12.6 rainbow and 7.2 coho win their respective categories over the weekend.
M&M Derby
The 45th Marinette & Menominee Great Lakes Sport Fishermen Brown Trout Derby is this Saturday and Sunday, with headquarters at Menominee Memorial Arena.
More than $11,500 will be on the line, including $1,500 for the first place brown trout, $1,000 for the largest Chinook $1,000, and $500 for both the top rainbow trout and heaviest walleye. There will also be thousands of dollars in cash and prizes in a separate ticket raffle. Proceeds are used to fund a wide variety of fishing-related projects and programs in the Marinette and Menominee areas.
There will be 30 places paid down in the brown trout category, 10 in the salmon and five each in the rainbow and walleye divisions. The first place brown trout will be mounted free by Dan Peterson.
Tickets cost $30, with raffle tickets for cash and fishing prizes also available (one for $5, three for $10 or seven for $20). For more info, check out the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064477998332.
Wolves killed four more calves and another dog, and injured a dog in five northern Wisconsin counties the past two weeks, including a calf attacked in Oconto County. Through July 17, the DNR reports that at least 15 calves, six dogs, five chickens, one cow, one miniature donkey and one goat have been killed by wolves in northern and central counties this year.
Green Bay and Lake Michigan water levels are up an inch from last month, and six inches from last year. Levels are still two inches above long-term averages, but have fallen 32 inches since the record July high set in 2020. Water levels last weekend were 34 inches higher than the record monthly low, set in 1964.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here