Kids are angling for the top prize in fishing tournament

By Barb Appelhans

BARB APPELHANS PHOTO Belvidere Republican
Blake Tomkus earned First Place in the 10 to 13 age group by catching a 26 inch Channel Catfish.

Correspondent

Saturday Aug. 18 was a beautiful day for the Candlewick Lake Anglers annual Kids Fishing Tournament. Registration was at 8:30 a.m. and the kids fished from shore till 10:30 a.m. Parents or guardians had to be present at all times and were only allowed to unhook the fish and bait the hook for the children. There were three groups in the tournament: ages 3 to 6, ages 7 to 9, and ages 10 to 13.

I would say the kids did pretty darn good on their own bringing in some of the largest fish during this Kids Fishing Tournament that I’ve seen in a long time. At 10:30 all the kids and guardians headed up to the officials with cards in hand recording their catch of the day. They were ready to enjoy some snacks and refreshments.

Chuck Hart, Chair of Lake Management, gave a fishing demonstration as the numbers were tallied. The 3 to 6 years group First Place winner was Julian Stender with a 18 inch Bass, First Place for the 7 to 9 years group was Luke Lenic with a 14 1/2 inch bass, and the winner for ages 10 to 13 years was Blake Tomkus with a 26 inch Channel Catfish.

First Place winners were awarded a trophy along with a $20 gift card from Snyder’s of Poplar Grove. Second and Third Place winners won either a fishing pole or tackle box. A raffle was held for non-place winners so everyone

BARB APPELHANS PHOTO Belvidere Republican
Luke Lenic’s catch of a 14 1/2 inch Bass took First Place in the 7 to 9 age group.

BARB APPELHANS PHOTO Belvidere Republican
Blake Tomkus earned First Place in the 10 to 13 age group by catching a 26 inch Channel Catfish.

went home with something. This couldn’t have happened without the support of the 2018 sponsors, Snyder’s, Marathon Gas, Friends of C.W.L., Candlewick Association, and the Volunteers from the Lake Management Commission.

As an incentive to instill pride in the community,…

For complete article, pick up the Aug. 26 BDR.